Dino Thunder: The Jurassic Sun
by thunderyoshi
Summary: Lothor is gone and Ari has graduated from the Celestial Ninja Academy, but when she is sent to Reefside to finish high school early, Ari and her fellow detention goers stumble across magical gems that bring Ari back into the life of a superhero.
1. Day of the Dino Part 1

**Welcome to the second story in my Ari series!**

**I was planning on updating last night, but only got home from Dublin around half 10, and went straight to bed.**

**So here we go, I hope you like it!**

Chapter 1: Day of the Dino Part 1

_Surrounded by a hundred monsters of various shapes and sizes, the Ninja Storm Rangers fought them off with all their power. One girl in a black and gold leather uniform, fought them off with skill equal to the Rangers, using a pair of swords that she was holding backwards. As she knocked one who looked like a giant butterfly down a hill and into a hole that was glowing purple, the scene changed._

_The group of Rangers, plus the girl, stood facing the evil Ninja Warlord known as Lothor. He was much more powerful than they were, stealing their powers and revealing the identities of the Rangers. However, three stood together and blasted him with their Ninja powers, defeating him once and for all._

The door banged, immediately jolting Ari out of her sleep. She sat up quickly, raising her hands in a defensive manner. Disorientated, Ari had no clue where she was, only that she was in a strange room, that had her things neatly arranged on the floor.

"Ari, get up! We'll be late for the first day of school, and I really don't want to have detention," a voice yelled through the door. The 16 year old girl let out a groan, her hands falling to her sides, before she fell back down, her head hitting her pillow.

"Dreaming of that again?" she mumbled, putting a hand to her face. "How unfair," Ari sighed, and rolled out of bed to get ready for her first day of school. "I miss lessons with Cam," Ari complained to herself as she pulled on a gold cami, and a black open hoodie over it. She tucked the golden griffin necklace that she always wore under her top, and put on a pair of jeans that stopped just below the knee. As the girl pulled on a pair of worn blue converse high-tops, she glanced in the mirror, and saw the girl from her dreams staring back out. Of course, her hair was now longer, but the same green eyes stared back.

"Come on!" the voice called through the door again, snapping Ari out of her thoughts. She got to her feet, and opened the door.

"Sorry Kira, I'm not used to early mornings," Ari smiled at the 18 year old who was standing at the door. Kira, who was dressed in mostly black with yellow edges, looked up at the taller girl.

"Oh yeah...you were home-schooled last year. I forgot," Kira nodded, remembering the cover-up story that the man who had once been Ari's teacher, had provided. They headed down the stairs to breakfast, and Ari rubbed her bare wrist, something she had been doing unconsciously for a few months.

After breakfast, the two left for school, walking mostly in silence. Ari felt a little guilty. It wasn't that she didn't like Kira, or that Kira didn't like her, but since she had arrived in Reefside a week before, she had been distracted.

Her mind was still in Blue Bay Harbour, where she and seven others had fought against Lothor for a year. Taking a look at the scrawny but tall teenager, no-one would be able to tell that she was a Sun Ninja Graduate, let alone had been the Gold Celestial Ranger, who had fought for a year to save the captured Ninjas and defeat an exiled Ninja Warlord. She missed everything about it. She missed the beautiful weather, she missed working in Storm Chargers – even it felt that she was the only one doing any work – and she missed her friends. Hell, she even missed Shane.

Ari felt bad for not putting in effort with Kira, who would be the only person she would know when starting Reefside High, and she seriously doubted that she would make many friends, considering that she was two years younger than the others attending there. She glanced to the fair haired girl, who had a look of focus on her face.

"Hey, you play guitar?" Ari noticed the instrument on her back. Kira jolted, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," she nodded. "When I finish here, I want to be a singer," she told Ari, who smiled.

"That sounds awesome," she told the quiet girl, who smiled a little back.

"And you skateboard?" Kira asked, her eyes going to the skateboard that Ari had shoved into her bag. It stuck out of the top, revealing its gold and silver bottom. It was the same board that Ari had bought when she had first arrived in Blue Bay Harbour, seeking the Wind Ninjas after the Celestial Academy had been destroyed.

"I do," Ari confirmed with a nod, before they looked up at the school in front of them. Ari swallowed, looking around at the mass of students around her.

"You'll be ok," Kira told her with a smile, as if sensing her nerves. Ari smiled back, and the two walked inside. "You know where to go to register alright?" the older girl asked, and Ari nodded, remembering the directions she had been given. "I'll catch you later," with a small wave, Kira headed off, leaving Ari to find her way to the faculty office. She weaved through the crowd, and finally found the room. After taking a nervous breath, she knocked on the door. It opened, and she looked at a woman her height, with short black hair, glasses, and a cold expression.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a harsh tone, taking Ari by surprise.

"I, uh..." she held out a piece of paper, and the woman snatched it off her, reading it quickly.

"Oh, I see, you're that new student the board told me about," she nodded, but the cold look didn't fade. She walked inside and grabbed another couple of papers from a desk, and shoved them into Ari's hands. "I expect you'll behave if you want to remain where you are now, or you'll have to face me. Excuse me," the woman shut the door and walked past, and Ari tilted her head as she watched her leave.

"So she's the headmaster. Awesome," she commented, before the bell rang and she looked up as everyone darted to class. "Ok Ari, you've faced a lot worse than a new school in the last few months, so let's do this," Ari told herself, and looked at the paper before hurrying off to find her first class.

1-2-3-4-5

After getting lost twice, Ari finally found her classroom, a science lab, and knocked on the door before opening it. A young man with glasses and short black hair glanced over at her from the front of the room.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly, and Ari smiled, walking in and handing him the paper she had shown the woman. "A new student?" the teacher frowned, and looked at her for a moment.

"Skipping two years," she shrugged, and he nodded.

"Ariel Raynes?" he spoke her name as if he recognised it.

"Ari," the Sun Ninja corrected, and he looked up sharply, recognition dawning in his eyes as he looked at her. Ari tilted her head, raising an eyebrow, but he quickly looked back down.

"Alright class, looks like we have a new student," the teacher announced to the class, and indicated for her to introduce herself. Taking another breath, reminding herself that this was by no means as terrifying as being imprisoned on a self-destructing ship, Ari turned to the class and smiled.

"I'm Ari, I'm from Briarwood, and just spent a year in Blue Bay Harbour, uh, studying," she hesitated for a moment. As the teacher, who introduced himself as Doctor Oliver, told her to take a seat, a girl stood up, and he sighed.

"Cassidy Cornell, I'm the anchor and field reporter for our school TV station," the blonde girl introduced herself to Ari, who looked alarmed. There was something about the teen that reminded her instantly of Marah. And that wasn't a good thing. Ari couldn't stand Cam's cousin, who had tricked Dustin in a cruel manner. Everyone else in the room groaned, and Ari had a feeling that Cassidy wasn't the most popular girl either. She hissed at the boy who sat next to her, and he got up quickly, adjusting the camera in his hands. "I have a few questions. How old are you?" she asked instantly. "You say you were in Blue Bay Harbour for a year? Did you witness the Ninja Storm Power Rangers?"

"Cassidy, _enough_," before Ari could speak, Doctor Oliver spoke up. "This is a _Science_ class? Let Ari take her seat," he instructed. Cassidy huffed, but sat down. Ari shot him a grateful smile, and took a quick seat beside Kira.

"I see you've already met the gossip hound," Kira whispered to her, and Ari grinned. Doctor Oliver began the class, and Ari pulled out her notebook to start taking notes.

1-2-3-4-5

After class had ended and their free-class started, Ari took the opportunity to skateboard, practising some moves. Since arriving in Reefside a week ago, she had barely had any time to do so. Nearby, she could hear Kira playing her guitar and singing as a couple of other students sat around listening.

"She's pretty good," Ari commented to herself, clipping her helmet on as she tucked her hair into it. She stepped onto her board and pushed off, using the unoccupied space to practice the few moves she could. She skated down the pathway, and after a few minutes, a familiar figure walked into her path. Ari stopped abruptly, looking up at the headmaster.

"Miss Raynes, I believe we discussed this morning about behaving accordingly if you wish to remain two years above your age?" she asked, and Ari opened her mouth to speak, her eyes wide. "Don't think that will work with me, Miss Raynes. You may have come with very high recommendations, but I am the headmaster of this school," she told Ari sternly, and the girl gulped. "Let's go," she ordered, and Ari lifted her skateboard and joined Kira, and a young man in football gear.

"Well so much for me promising that I wouldn't get into trouble on the first day," Ari muttered to Kira, who was holding her guitar and frowning. She looked up at the boy standing with them, and her eyes widened. "Eric?" she asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You know my brother?" he asked, before the sprinklers suddenly went off. Everyone around them shrieked as the cold water hit them, including Kira. Ari couldn't help but laugh as they stepped onto the path, out of reach of the water.

"This is just great," Kira grumbled as she tried to wipe the water from her guitar. Ari lifted her helmet off, and found that her hair was mostly untouched as it fell around her shoulders.

"Ethan James..." the principal growled as she looked around at a young man walking by under a blue umbrella, smiling happily. "I should have known," her eyes narrowed darkly. Once she had caught the young man, she led the four back inside. "Sit!" she barked at them, and they quickly did so.

"Principal Randall, I'd like to mention the fact that there's absolutely no hard evidence linking me to that unfortunate sprinkler incident," the young man in blue told her earnestly, but she just turned a fierce glare, that was only made scarier by her soaked appearance.

"Save it for Judge Judy, Mr James," she snarled at him. "The four of you have detention, for one week, starting today," she looked to the others, whose jaws dropped. "Now if there are no further questions-" all of them protested loudly, all having prior plans. "I didn't think so!" Randall barked at them over their yells.

"Ok, somebody _seriously _needs a hug," Kira growled.

"Detention on the first day...I don't know who is going to kill me worse, dad...Sensei Sugiura...or Cam," Ari groaned to herself.

"Dude...Computer Club?" the young man in red turned to Ethan with a raised eyebrow. Ethan just rolled his eyes and looked away. "And you, just how do you know my brother?" he asked Ari, who glanced at him.

"You're Connor then," she remembered Eric mentioning him when they spoke. "I met Eric at the US Action Games," she told him, and Connor frowned suspiciously. Ari was glad she was well practised in looking innocent as she met his gaze.

"Were you one of the..." he trailed off as he took in her scrawny appearance, which was only made worse by how soaked she was. "Never mind," he dismissed it, and as he looked away, Ari bit her lip to try and hide her smirk.

1-2-3-4-5

After school ended, the four were gathered outside of a classroom, and ordered to wait until Randall returned with whoever was unlucky enough to be in charge of detention.

"Perfect!" they heard her call. "Bring the little monsters with you. That should be sufficient torture for them," she arrived with Doctor Oliver, who looked very unhappy that he was stuck with detention duty. "You've all met, I trust?" she glanced to him as he looked at the four. "Well, enjoy your little outing," Randall smirked at the four, and walked off before anyone could protest.

"So..." when she left, Doctor Oliver took off his glasses and smiled slightly at them. "You guys like museums?" he asked.

"Would it be a bad idea to say yes?" Ari whispered to Kira as they started walking. The singer shot her a weird look, and Ari grinned back.

1-2-3-4-5

"Whoa! Check out the T-Rex!" Ethan exclaimed as they saw a giant statue of a dinosaur outside of the museum.

"This place looks so much cooler than the Museum of Asian History..." Ari commented as she looked up at the giant T-Rex. "And less likely for machine monsters to revive ancient warlords and their pet dogs," she muttered to herself as Doctor Oliver pulled up and they climbed out. They walked up towards the entrance, only to find that it was closed.

"That's weird..." Doctor Oliver frowned.

"Oh well, no museum for us," Connor shrugged as they looked around.

"Great! Let's go home!" Kira nodded, and Ari grinned.

"Tell you what," Doctor Oliver looked around at them. "I want you guys to have a look around the grounds. If you find anything prehistoric, I'll cancel detention for the rest of the week," their eyes lit up at the thought.

"Sweet!" Ethan smiled.

"I'm gonna see if I can find someone who can tell us when they're opening up," Doctor Oliver decided. The four students headed off to look around, leaving him to find out what was going on.

"So let me get this straight. They have a club, _just _for _computers_?" Connor asked Ethan, who looked at him incredulously.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey! Did you guys hear about the guy who was hiking up here and fell into a giant sinkhole?" Ethan broke the silence as they walked through the forest.

"Must have missed that one," Kira told him, sounding bored.

"I did hear that one!" Ari nodded with a smile, and Ethan grinned at her. "A friend of mine decided it would be fun to tell me all the horror stories of this place," she laughed. "Though I think it was payback for arguing that there is something weird about the forest in Briarwood..." she mused.

"Oh! I heard about that one too!" Ethan grinned, and Ari laughed.

"Dude, you guys know this isn't computer club, right?" Connor smirked at the pair.

"It isn't?" Ari asked innocently, and Kira grinned at her.

"Oh, I can see you're too big and bad to surf the web," Ethan rolled his eyes. "Well, what do you do in your spare time?" he asked as Connor just smirked, continuing to walk.

"Me? I go out with girls," Connor explained casually. "You know, they're the ones who smell really good, with the long hair and the make-up," he smirked at the shorter boy, who raised his eyebrows.

"I don't think I'm a girl," Ari muttered to Kira, who was now laughing at this point.

"Oh, it's like that, is it?" he stopped him.

"Yeah, it's like that," Connor towered over him, his smirk dropping.

"Whatever," fed up with the two butting heads, Kira just rolled her eyes, and walked on.

"What is it with guys and having to best each other?" Ari shook her head and followed the girl that she was living with for the year. Connor followed them, and Ethan shook his head.

"All I'm trying to do is give you guys a heads up!" Ethan shouted to them. "Stuff happens out here! Just don't come crying to me when you fall into a giant sink-hole!" no sooner had he finished shouting at them, did he disappear through the ground. Before they could look around, the other three fell too.

While Connor, Ethan and Kira landed heavily on their backs, Ari managed to land on her feet, and looked around at them, coughing as she breathed in the dirt.

"Are you guys ok?" she asked as they groaned and looked up.

"What are you? A cat?" Connor frowned at her, before getting to his feet and brushing himself off. Ari just shrugged. "Alright. You guys stay here where it's safe. I'll climb up and come back with help," he told them as he looked up at the hole above them.

"No offence, but you can't climb that," Ari told him as she looked around. As expected, Connor ignored her and began to climb. He had only just gotten off the ground, when the wall crumbled under his grip, and he crashed back down with a cry.

"Back already?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow, before they helped Connor up.

"As much as I seriously hate the idea, our best bet is the tunnels," Ari told them, and the other two nodded. The four then headed through the tunnels.

1-2-3-4-5

Kira led the way, singing under her breath to disrupt the eerie silence. Holes above them provided them with light, but it did little to settle Ari, who always hated being underground. It was the same with most other Ninjas, except Earth Ninjas, who seemed to feel _more _comfortable then. According to Sensei, however, Sun and Air were the worst to be placed underground, as it cut them off from sunlight and fresh air.

"Babe, would you keep it down? I'm trying to stay focused," Connor interrupted, and Kira stopped in surprise, looking at him sharply as he walked on ahead of her.

"Did you just call me babe?" Kira demanded as she looked furious. "Did he just call me babe?" she looked at Ethan and Ari expectantly.

"I dunno, I wasn't listening!" Ethan shrugged. "I was still grooving to your tune," he muttered. Ari just shrugged with a weak smile. Kira stormed over to Connor, who had stopped to look around.

"What?" he realised that she was glaring at him. "Look, just chill out, why don't you?" he looked a little alarmed at how furious she was.

"Listen. My name, is _Kira_. Maybe you should write it on your hand or something, so you can remember," she growled at him before storming off.

"Can we just work on getting out of here please?" Ari groaned, continuing to walk.

1-2-3-4-5

After another little while, the four students came to a dead end, with a dinosaur skeleton embedded in the wall that blocked their way.

"This _screams _Jurassic Park to me," Kira determined.

"This'll get us out of detention forever," Connor grinned, reaching out to grab the head.

"Let's just grab it and get out of here," Ari was feeling worse and worse.

"Do you think you should-" before Kira could finish, Connor had moved the jaw, and the wall beside it opened up to reveal a strange room.

"Whoa..." Ethan breathed as they walked inside.

"I could do a _crazy _video in here," Kira commented as they looked around. The place was filled with machines and fossils.

"This must be like the mothership for you dude," Connor laughed to Ethan.

"Normally, I'd be insulted," Ethan laughed. "But when you're right...you're right," he shrugged, and Connor grinned. Ari looked around as the uncomfortable feeling of being underground was softened. There was something strange about it, almost comforting, as it reminded her of Ninja Ops. "Yo, don't touch that!" Ethan's hiss made Ari look around to where Connor was about to lift a red gem from a smoking rock.

"Why not?" Connor frowned as they gathered around them.

"You really are taking this dumb jock thing to a whole new level," Ethan shook his head.

"Look, I have sat through enough lame science classes to know that thing looks fully prehistoric," Connor shrugged. "And it means, I don't have to miss practice," he pointed out.

"I hate to agree with him, really, I do," Kira sighed heavily. "But I already missed one rehearsal," she told them as Ari looked uncertain, but her eyes couldn't move from the golden gem in front of her.

"I did want to get some practice in before the next skating competition..." she muttered, rubbing her arm. The four reached out and lifted the Gems, which immediately began to glow.

"Well, what are they?" Kira asked, looking up from the Gem that was glowing yellow in her grasp.

"I can go online later, and see if I can find out," Ethan suggested. Connor started to laugh.

"You in front of a computer. Wait, let me put on my surprised face," he mocked, and Ethan scowled.

"You know, ten years from now, when your hairline is receding and you're playing pick-up soccer in the park because your dreams of turning pro never quite worked out, I'll have my own multi-million dollar software business," Ethan decided, smiling brightly as he told them his dream.

"Wow, looks like you're a bit more harsh than you look," Ari commented, but couldn't stop herself from grinning. Kira just rolled her eyes and walked off.

"Where are you going?" Ethan noticed her, and she glanced around.

"I don't want to think about what kinda freak lives in a place like this, and I sure don't wanna be here when he gets home," she told them, and they all hurried off, pocketing the stones as they followed her out.

1-2-3-4-5

After hurrying back through the tunnels once again - having to push Ari along – the four teens finally found an exit.

"This way!" Ethan called, leading the way out and running outside. "Does anyone have a compass?" he called as they all emerged and climbed up the small hill.

"And I was going to bring one," Connor rolled his eyes.

"We need to go that way," they all looked to Ari as she pointed. When she noticed their looks, she sighed. "It's the afternoon, which means that way is more or less west," she gestured the other way. "And we need to head East to get back," she told them.

"Ok...how do you know all this stuff?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow. Ari hesitated, before shrugging.

"Read it in a book," she told them. They didn't look completely convinced, but before they could say anything, the wind picked up, and a low growl echoed through the trees.

"What was that?" Ethan gulped.

"The wind?" Kira suggested hopefully as Ari tensed.

"Not the wind," she shook her head, scanning the trees for the company she knew was approaching them. A crowd of strange black lizard-like monsters suddenly appeared in front of them, and they froze.

"Don't move..." Connor whispered as they stood frozen.

"No, we run," knowing that there was no way she could take them all on without her Ranger powers, Ari pushed the three and they took off with little persuasion. They ran through the forest as quickly as possible, praying that they didn't fall into another sink-hole. Connor, Ethan and Ari leapt across a ditch, but as Kira followed, she fell short, landing in the ditch.

"Come on!" the three turned back and reached out for the girl as she struggled to climb up. They pulled her up just in time to avoid the monsters, and continued running. As they did, Kira suddenly fell. When the others realised, the monsters were closer to her than they were, and Kira opened her mouth to scream. However, her scream came out at an unnaturally high-pitch that forced the other three to cover their ears as they staggered, while the monsters were thrown back. When she realised what she was doing, Kira stopped, and the noise stopped, echoing into the distance.

"Come on, help her up," Connor called as they recovered from their surprise and ran over to Kira.

"What, was _that_?" Ethan demanded as they stared at the girl.

"I have no idea," Kira admitted with wide eyes, before a yellow light started glowing in her pocket. When she noticed, she pulled the glowing Gem from her pocket, and they heard a small cry similar to how Kira had just screamed.

"Um, guys, we better keep going," Ari noticed the monsters start to recover, and they took off in separate directions. Noticing that only a few of the monsters continued to follow her, Ari slowed to a stop and turned to face them, falling into her fighting stance.

The monsters seemed to hesitate when they saw this, before running at her regardless. As one leapt at her, Ari sidestepped and delivered a spinning kick to its back. Her foot protested at the contact with tough, leathery skin, but she ignored it and kicked out at another, before striking another with her closed fist. The monsters were definitely surprised by her skill, but continuing running at her. They swarmed her, and Ari's eyes widened. She raised her hands as they attacked at once, and a shimmering golden force rose in front of her. Their attacks slammed into it, and forced the energy back on them, knocking them down.

As Ari stared at the shield, it slowly faded, and she was forced to continue fighting the other creatures. One of them backed up before she could hit it, and to both their surprises, another light, this one concentrated into an orb, shot from her hand, straight into the last monster. "Now the question is, where did these powers come from?" she wondered, before her own Gem began to glow. It emitted a soft, almost whale-like melody, before Ari saw an image of a strange dinosaur with fins instead of feet. "Great, just what I need. More unexplained powers," she sighed.

"Over here!" Connor's call drew the four back together, looking at the Gems in their hands. Ari looked around, but the monsters had gone, which she guessed the others had done with their own new powers.

"Yo, how much do I love detention," Ethan asked giddily as he looked down at the deep blue stone in his hand.

"Hey!" Doctor Oliver's voice reached them and they hid the stones quickly. "Are you guys alright?" he asked as he ran over, looking a little overwhelmed.

"Yep," Ari smiled before anyone could speak. "We're fine," she told him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary happen?" their teacher asked curiously.

"Nah, just your routine hike in the woods," Ethan shrugged as both Connor and Kira looked a little confused over why the two were lying. "Lots of furry little creatures," he nodded.

"And a few scaly ones," Kira muttered under her breath. Doctor Oliver frowned at her words, but before he could ask, Connor spoke up.

"So, you get into the Dino exhibit?" he asked, looking at the teacher quickly.

"Still working the kinks out," he shook his head, looking a little worried. "We better get you guys back. Come on," he looked around, before starting to walk.

"Don't you guys think we should tell him?" Kira asked, looking to the three.

"No," Ari shook her head. "Whatever just happened, we can't involve him in it. We don't even _know _what just happened," she pointed out. "We need to keep whatever these powers are a secret for now," she told them, and they nodded in agreement.

"Are you guys coming?" Doctor Oliver called out to them, and they exchanged another look before continuing to walk.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok, so we all agree," Connor spoke as they walked through the school grounds, heading home. "Not to talk about this to anyone? No matter what," he looked at the other three, before Kira stopped, making them stop as well.

"I can do better than that," she handed him her yellow Gem. "I'm out. Just forget I was ever here, and I'll do the same," Kira told them firmly.

"Wait, how come he gets it?" Ethan demanded.

"Well, here," Kira rolled her eyes and took it from Connor, and dropped it into Ethan's hand. As he grinned, Ari took it from him and held it back out for Kira.

"Kira, you can't just pretend this doesn't exist," she told the girl as she scowled. "This thing has given you powers, and throwing it away isn't going to take them away," Ari told her.

"I don't want it! I lifted that thing, and then I get chased by these freaky lizards through the forest," Kira shook her head stubbornly.

"And you think they're just going to leave you alone if you don't have it? This thing is connected to you," Ari told her, and Kira let out a frustrated growl.

"You know what? I give up!" she exclaimed, and stormed off.

"Kira!" Ari called after her, but she didn't stop. "Yeah, I'm definitely losing my touch..." she muttered to herself, and looked down at the Gem in her hand. As Kira stormed off, the wind picked up again, and the monsters appeared again, grabbing her.

"Kira!" Connor yelled. They ran towards the girl to try and help her, but before they reached her, the monsters disappeared, taking her with them, leaving her backpack behind.

"She's gone," Ethan breathed as Connor lifted Kira's backpack, looking around.

1-2-3-4-5

"I'm telling you guys, I know someone who can help us!" Ari insisted from the back of Connor's car as he hurtled down the road.

"They live in Blue Bay Harbour! That will take too long!" Connor dismissed it, and Ari groaned. She couldn't exactly say that it would take about five minutes for them to get there.

"Ok, so where _are _we going?" she asked.

"Uh...Doctor Oliver's?" Ethan suggested.

"What's he gonna do?!" both Connor and Ari demanded.

"He's a dinosaur guy!" Ethan shrugged. "These things are dinosaurs...sort of..." he muttered.

"Alright, so, where does he live?" not having any other options, Connor accepted that they were going to their science teacher for help.

"Uh, 1992, Valencia Road," Ethan pulled up the address, and Connor nodded.

"Valencia Road, that's..." Connor frowned. "That's like, way out in the middle of the woods," he commented. Ari and Ethan frowned, wondering just why he would choose to live there.

1-2-3-4-5

The three finally arrived at Doctor Oliver's home, looking around as they hurried to the door. Ethan knocked on the door loudly as Connor and Ari peered inside.

"Knock again," Connor told him, not seeing anyone inside. Ethan did so, but there was still no response.

"Now what?" he asked. Connor sighed and walked over. He pushed the door, and it swung open.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Ari asked as Connor looked inside.

"Why would he leave it unlocked?" he asked, looking to the pair..

"He's got no neighbours," Ethan reminded him with a frown.

"What, you never heard of the three bears?" Connor grinned, walking inside.

"Is that the last book you read?" Ethan rolled his eyes, but followed him inside. Ari hesitated in the doorway, watching them creep down the hall.

"I guess I can add breaking and entering to the list of things I've done," she sighed, and followed them inside. They looked around, calling out for their teacher, but there was no response. They walked into the study, which was filled with books and fossils.

"Hey, check it out," Connor grinned, walking over to a model of a t-rex.

"Stop," Ari caught his hand before he could touch it. "The last time you touched something, we ended up with weird powers, being chased by creepy lizard things," she pointed out.

"Dude, the guy's a teacher, not-" Connor stopped as he touched the dinosaur's jaw again, and a trapdoor opened. "Batman..." he managed to finish with wide eyes. Shrugging, the three walked down the steps, and found themselves in the basement that they had stumbled on a couple of hours before.

"This is the same place," Ethan realised as they looked around.

"Are you freaking out right now?" Connor asked.

"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "I'd have to say I am," they turned, taking in the whole place.

"And I would have to agree with you guys," Ari agreed.

"If you're looking for extra credit," they spun around to see Doctor Oliver standing in front of a skeleton, a deep frown on his face. "You're in the wrong place," he warned them darkly, making them gulp.

**Let me know what you think!**


	2. Day of the Dino Part 2

Chapter 2: Day of the Dino Part 2

Connor, Ethan and Ari stood nervously in the middle of the bizarre basement as they looked at the angry science teacher.

"Doctor O, before you off, can we explain why we're here?" Ethan and Connor backed away, while Ari stood her ground.

"Dude, he's just gonna laugh if we tell him," Connor shook his head at Ethan.

"Take a look Connor, does he look in the laughing mood?" Ari muttered back at him. "Now, I know this is gonna sound really weird, but Kira's been captured by these weird lizard dinosaur things," she told Doctor Oliver, whose angry expression was replaced by a look of horror. He looked away, and the three watched him.

"He doesn't look convinced," Connor whispered to the other two.

"They're called Tyrannodrones," Doctor Oliver sighed, turning away from them.

"And you know that because...?" Ethan trailed off as they followed him.

"I helped create them," he admitted, sounding guilty as the three stared at him.

"Oh, class project?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long story, but for now, we gotta figure out what they want with Kira," he turned around, and the three exchanged looks at that. Ari then turned a weak smile on Doctor Oliver.

"We might know something about that," she admitted, and when he frowned, they pulled their Gems out of their pockets.

"It might have something to do with these..." Connor shrugged as Tommy stared at them, his mouth open.

1-2-3-4-5

"We're really sorry," Connor sighed as they gave Doctor Oliver the Gems, which he called a Dino Gem. "How were we supposed to know those things had, like, superpowers, and that those lizard dudes would come looking for them?" he demanded.

"I guess it isn't something you see every day," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "I would have expected better of you though," he said to Ari, before pausing, realising what he had just done as Ari looked up sharply, her green eyes widening.

"You don't..." she breathed, putting her hands to her mouth. "You _know_!" she accused, and he nodded. "_How_?" Ari demanded.

"Know what?" Ethan asked with a frown, but neither Ari nor Doctor Oliver looked at him.

"It's not important," after a moment, Ari looked away, frowning. She had never met the man before today, yet somehow he knew about her Ranger past.

"Ok, you know what _is_ important dude? Coming clean," Connor told Doctor Oliver, who frowned at him.

"Ok, first, don't call me dude," he told him firmly. "Second, as hard as this may seem, you three need to forget about all this. I'll find Kira," he said, and turned away. As he went to walk the the exit, he suddenly found Connor blocking his path, having used his new superspeed. Doctor Oliver stopped abruptly, and gave a small, impressed smile.

"The Gem's power is already starting to bond with you," he spoke with approval.

"You can tell us all about it now, or at my next parent teacher conference," Connor challenged, and the smile disappeared instantly.

"We're not going to just forget about this," Ari told him firmly as she walked over. "We've got these powers now, it's for a reason," she said, and Doctor Oliver seemed almost amused by her words.

"Ok, come on," he told them, and they grinned as he led them out.

1-2-3-4-5

Speeding down the road, Doctor Oliver explained what was going on as they searched for Kira.

"So, when you said you created those...Tyranno...whatevers, you were just kidding, right?" Ethan asked curiously. Doctor Oliver shook his head grimly.

"They weren't supposed to be used like this," he told them softly. "Someone has modified their programming. A few years back, I was doing research on combining dinosaur DNA with technology. My partner, a scientist named Anton Mercer-"

"I remember that name, he's that really rich dude who disappeared mysteriously years ago," Ari remembered hearing the name when her parents were discussing it.

"Yep. Shortly after Mercer disappeared, our lab was attacked. All of our research was destroyed. Or at least I thought it was," Doctor Oliver explained with a frown as he thought about it.

"And the guy who did this is back?" Connor summed up.

"He calls himself Mesogog," Doctor Oliver told them. He slowed to a stop at a crossroads, and looked around.

"And you think he's after the Gems?" Connor asked curiously.

"Looks like it," Doctor Oliver nodded. Ari sighed from the back, wishing that she hadn't gone and lifted the Gold Gem. She was still trying to figure out what was going on about her other powers. Of course, since she wasn't often in serious danger since defeating Lothor, her powers hadn't surfaced since.

"Well, this is all totally fascinating, but how is this helping us find Kira?" Ethan questioned. "I mean, she's not just gonna fall out of the sky and land right in front of us," he commented as he and Doctor Oliver looked around at Connor and Ari. As they went to speak, Kira landed on the hood of the car. They stared at her as she looked up slowly. After the shock died down, they leapt out of the car and ran over to Kira.

"Just...um...how did you manage that?" Ari asked with wide eyes as they helped her off the car.

"I have no idea," Kira admitted. "Once minute I'm being chased by Frankenlizard through his creepy lab, and the next thing I know, I'm a hood ornament!" she exclaimed, looking alarmed.

"Invisiportals," Doctor Oliver sighed.

"Invisi-what?" Ari looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Whatever," Kira rolled her eyes. "The next time, I'm calling a cab," she told them, before frowning as a thought occurred to her. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked curiously.

"We came to rescue you," Ethan admitted with a frown.

"Nice job. Way to show up when I don't need you anymore!" she complained irritably. Connor glanced to his right, and then back down at Kira.

"You sure about that?" he asked, and they all looked over to a group of Tyrannodrones, who were being led by a figure in black, with a sword and shield. Doctor Oliver stood in front of them with a frown.

"Mesogog find a new goon to do his dirty work?" he taunted to the leader, who let out a low growl.

"You are not fit to speak my master's name," he told them in a deep voice. "Come with me peacefully, or suffer the consequences," he warned them.

"I'm gonna have to say...no," Doctor Oliver decided. The monster let out another yell, and he and the Tyrannodrones ran at them. As Doctor Oliver took on the leader as the students faced the foot-soldiers.

Ari grinned and ducked under a punch, catching the monster in the chest with a quick punch of her own, before turning and kicking another. Blocking another hit, she kicked her attacker into another Tyrannodrone, and turned to another one, stopping its fist and shoving it back. When more attacked her at once, she held up her hands and called on her shield, which shimmered brightly as the Tyrannodrones hit it and were repelled.

"I have to say, I kinda missed this," the ninja mused as she let the shield fade, and tossed a ball of light at the last Tyrannodrone, and grinned. She ran over to the others, who finished off their own opponents with the use of their new powers.

"Make sure you tell your master, Doctor Oliver's back," their teacher called as he stood with them, having fought off his own opponents with ease.

"I will inform him that this battle is over, but the war has only just begun," the monster replied coldly, and disappeared with the Tyrannodrones.

"That's the best he could do?" Ethan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yet you're out of breath," Ari commented as she stood beside him. Ethan frowned, and both Connor and Kira grinned, before realising that the younger teen hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Let's get outta here. It's getting late. I don't want your parents to worry," Doctor Oliver called over them, standing by his jeep.

"I bet you don't," Connor frowned. "Then you might have to explain something," he commented, and Doctor Oliver frowned at the jock.

"I'll fill you in tomorrow after school, I promise," he insisted. The four sighed, before following him to the jeep, heading home for the day.

1-2-3-4-5

As soon as they walked into class the next day, Ari and Kira were ambushed by Cassidy.

"Kira Ford, Cassidy Cornell, Reefside News Network," she introduced herself brightly.

"Cassidy, I know who you are," Kira rolled her eyes as Ari couldn't help but laugh, taking a seat. "We're in homeroom together?" she reminded the blonde, who waved this off.

"Anyway, what can you tell me about the mysterious goings-on at Reefside? For example, the sudden friendship between you, Ari Raynes, Connor McKnight, and Ethan James?" she questioned and Kira rolled her eyes. "Or better yet, the strange creatures that appeared out of nowhere, and they just attacked you in broad daylight? What about that, huh?" Cassidy demanded.

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about. But as you can see, I'm just fine," Kira told her firmly. "But you..." she frowned at the blonde. "You look kind of...oh...pasty," Cassidy looked horrified at the comment.

"Pasty?! Are you serious?" she whimpered. "Oh, I hate fluorescent lightning," she cried as Doctor Oliver walked in and shut the door.

"Cassidy, unless you plan on giving a lecture on the Mesozoic period, I suggest you take your seat," he told her as Kira sat down beside the giggling Ari. "Thank you," Doctor Oliver said as Cassidy sat down. "Ok, who can tell me when it all began?" he asked, and as Ari raised a hand, the ground began to shake and the lights flickered as dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun. The backup power went online and poor lighting illuminated the classroom, and the majority of the students ran to the windows to see what was going on.

"Cassidy, you are not going to believe this!" Devin ran into the classroom with a wide grin.

"Lemme guess, the sky just went black in the middle of the day?" Cassidy rolled her eyes.

"It did?" he looked outside and his eyes lit up. "Whoa, look at that!" he stared outside.

"Devin, hello! What?!" Cassidy demanded, waving a hand in front of his face to get his attention again.

"I just heard this whack report about mechanical dinosaurs attacking down-town," Ari looked around sharply at his words. She looked over at Doctor Oliver, who looked alarmed.

"Oh! Grab your camera!"

"Wait a minute you two!" Doctor Oliver stopped them before they could leave, before Principal Randall's voice echoed through the speakers.

"_Everybody stay calm. The mayor has declared a state of emergency. Please report to the front of the school for immediate dismissal. Again, remain calm_," Randall ordered, and everyone cleared out, leaving Connor, Kira, Ethan and Ari alone with Doctor Oliver.

"Doctor O, now would be a good time to have that little chat," Kira told him as he walked out from behind his desk.

"Yeah, please tell me that these mechanical dinosaurs aren't what I think they are," Ari folded her arms, her green eyes wide.

"We're outta time. If Mesogog revived the Bio Zords, we gotta act fast," Doctor Oliver shook his head, and Ari groaned, putting a hand to her face. "Come on," he darted off.

"That wasn't what I wanted to hear!" Ari followed him out, and the others followed suit.

1-2-3-4-5

"So, these mechanical dinosaurs, they're your friends?" Kira summed up what Doctor Oliver had explained on the way back to his home.

"Bio Zords," Doctor Oliver corrected. "Fusion-powered replicants, using actual dinosaur DNA for their neuro-functions," he told them.

"Uh, what?" Connor raised an eyebrow.

"Big robots that are programmed to think like dinosaurs," Ari told him with a hand on her hip. "And I'm guessing, that much like the Tyrannodrones, which are much smaller robots with dinosaur DNA, _you _helped build them?" she looked up at Doctor Oliver as Connor stared at her.

"I'm afraid so," he confirmed. "But right now we – I mean you...have to tame them," he told them, and they stared at him.

"I'll BBL if it's all the same to you," Ethan laughed and shook his head quickly.

"What's that mean?" Doctor Oliver frowned at him.

"Be back later," Ethan translated, and started walking off.

"Ethan, wait!" he looked around with a frown. "You can do this, but you don't have to do it alone," he told them all, and they frowned back. "Ever since I found the Dino Gems, I've had these waiting, if I ever needed to harness their powers," he led them over to a case sitting on a table.

"Into what?" Kira asked slowly. Doctor Oliver opened up the briefcase, to reveal four morphers, with different dinosaur heads on them in different colours.

"Dino morphers," he told them. "Use these to become Power Rangers," the four stared at them with wide eyes.

"I gotta sit down," Ethan staggered, and Connor caught him.

"Breathe, dude," he told the geek, and Ari ran a hand through her hair, unable to find any words. She stared at the golden morpher with wide eyes.

"We can't be Power Rangers!" Kira spoke up, shaking her head quickly. "Aren't you supposed to be able to fly, or have superhuman strength, stuff like that?" she asked, looking terrified. Doctor Oliver just looked amused.

"You do," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah...I forgot," Kira remembered, still looking worried.

"Your gems are from the asteroid that crashed into the Earth millions of years ago, wiping out the entire dinosaur population," Doctor Oliver explained. "When I found them, I recognised their power and hide them, so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands," he said, and Connor tore his gaze from the morphers to look up at the science teacher.

"How do you know _these _are the right hands?" he asked, gesturing to himself and the other three.

"The Gems are yours. You didn't choose them, they chose you," Doctor Oliver told them, and walked away from the morphers.

"Can't they unchoose us?" Kira asked hopefully.

"They've already bonded with your DNA," he told them with a wry smile. "That's what's given you your powers," he explained.

"So if they already bonded with us, how come Mesogog and his creeps are still after them?" Ethan frowned, and Ari bit her lip, already knowing the answer.

"The only way these powers can be taken away, is if you're destroyed," Doctor Oliver told them gravely as he walked back over to them.

"Ok, for future reference, that's not a great selling point," Ethan said with wide eyes.

"Look, all I know is, I don't remember asking to be a superhero!" Connor shook his head. "And isn't Ari a little young for it too?" he glanced to Ari.

"Hey!" she frowned, folding her arms. "I'm 16, and for your information-"

"The Gems wouldn't have bonded with you if you didn't have something inside that could handle the power," Doctor Oliver interrupted Ari before she could say anything she might regret. "Ari is definitely not too young for this, believe me," he gave a wry smile that made Ari quirk an eyebrow, wondering just who he was thinking of. "Please," he returned to the case, and pushed it forwards. With a small scowl at Connor, Ari reached out and took her new morpher, and the other three followed suit.

"So now what?" Ethan asked as they studied the strange devices. "Do we need some kind of secret password or command?" he questioned, looking up at Doctor Oliver.

"All you have to say is 'Dino Thunder, Power Up," and you'll be transformed. You'll know what to do," Doctor Oliver nodded at them.

"Dino Thunder?" Connor repeated, looking up and smirking. "Did you come up with that?" he asked Ethan.

"I kinda like it," Ethan admitted, which only made Connor's smirk widen.

"You would," Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know you four are from different worlds, I get it," Doctor Oliver interrupted them. "But you're gonna have to work together, or this can never happen. This won't be easy. Nobody knows that better than I do," he told them, and Ari frowned suspiciously. "But you're gonna have believe in yourselves, because I believe in you," he said.

"Really?" Connor raised an eyebrow, looking worried.

"Really," Doctor Oliver confirmed.

1-2-3-4-5

Doctor Oliver drove the four students down-town, to where the Bio Zords were attacking the city. The Pterodactyl and the Plesiosaurus flew through the air, slamming into buildings, as the T-Rex and Triceratops attacked from the ground.

"Okay. This is it," Doctor Oliver announced as he stopped the jeep and they looked out. Hesitantly, the five climbed out of the jeep and looked up at the massive Zords.

"That must be them!" Connor gestured up at them.

"Wow, good call, Connor," Kira rolled her eyes. The monster from before landed in front of them, holding up his shield.

"You'll have to get past me, before you get those Zords," he told them in his deep voice.

"Like we expected anything less," Ari grinned back.

"That's the part I'm looking forward to," Connor told him.

"You guys ready?" Ethan glanced to the other three.

"Oh yeah," Kira confirmed with a nod.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed into their new suits, which were had white stripes running down the sides.

"Whoa!" Ethan grinned as he looked down at his blue suit.

"This totally rocks," Kira grinned as she studied her yellow one. Ari smiled as she surveyed her gold suit. Having had her powers ripped away from her the last time with no finality to it, she was glad to have them back, even if they were new powers.

"So...you're Power Rangers..." the monster commented as Connor cheered.

"Call on your weapons!" Doctor Oliver called over to them. "They're in your belt," he nodded to them.

"You got it Doctor O!" Connor cheered, and their belts began to glow. "Whoa, check it out!" their weapons flew from their belts, flying around before the Rangers caught them. "Nice! I got a Tyranno Staff!" Connor called as he caught his staff.

"I can come to grips with this! Ptera Grips!" Kira held her dagger-like weapons in front of her.

"Sweet! A Tricera Shield!" Ethan cheered happily.

"I will happily take these Plesio Swords!" Ari grabbed the twin swords in front of her, holding them so they pointed behind her.

"Enough!" the monster called, and summoned a crowd of Tyrannodrones. They ran at the Rangers, who met them and fought them off with ease, using their new weapons to take them out. Spinning and holding out her swords, Ari took out the Tyrannodrones around her, and kicked up to knock another one down. When one grabbed one of her swords, Ari grinned and shoved it back with ease, lifting it and tossing it into the side of a building.

"Next?" she called, and backflipped over a Tyrannodrone running at her from behind.

"Freeze!" nearby, Ethan took on the leader, and he laughed.

"You first!" he called. He fired a beam of light that wrapped around the new Blue Ranger, lifting him off the ground. He was slammed into a metal railing, crying out as the monster laughed.

"Let him go!" the laughter stopped abruptly as Ari cut through the light and freed Ethan, who crashed to the ground. Kira and Connor ran over, helping him up as Ari watched the monster. He fired several small energy blasts, only for Ari to deflect them all with her swords.

"Whoa, she's fast," Kira commented as Ari knocked the last one back into the monster.

"Rangers! Combine your weapons!" Doctor Oliver yelled over to them.

"Right!" Connor nodded. The four stood together, and combined their weapons into a cannon.

"Z-Rex Blaster Ready! Fire!" they blasted the monster, who let out a roar and was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard.

"We did it!" Kira cheered, and Doctor Oliver managed a smile.

"You showed me your weapons, now meet mine!" he yelled, and disappeared. The Zords roared angrily, and a large ship flew towards them, blasting them to the ground.

"Ok, how do we fight _that_?" Connor demanded.

"You gotta tame the Zords," Doctor Oliver told them as they ran over to him. "Concentrate. Your morphers will communicate your thoughts to your Zords," he explained, and they nodded, running to meet their Zords.

"Look at that!" Connor stared up at the Triceratops, which roared at them. "They're huge!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. The Zord roared down again at them angrily.

"Calm down boy," Ethan stepped forwards, raising his hands. "It's all good," he insisted.

"Be careful," Ari warned, not taking her eyes off it.

"That's right, I'm your friend," Ethan didn't look away from the Zord as he raised his morpher. "Tricera Zord!" he raised his hand, and his morpher glowed. The Tricera-Zord roared again, and turned from dark grey, to bright blue. "It worked!" he cheered, along with the others.

"Ok, my turn," Kira looked up at the Ptera-Zord as it flew overhead, and lifted her morpher. "Ptera-Zord! We can be friends, right?" the Pterodactyl landed on a tall building, and turned yellow. The Plesio-Zord flew past, making whale-like noises.

"Hey there, we're gonna be great partners," Ari smiled as she stepped forwards. "Plesio-Zord!" she lifted her arm, and the Zord turned golden as it hummed again. However, as she cheered, the still uncontrolled T-Rex stormed over and slammed the Tricera-Zord into the air with its tail, hitting both the Ptera and Plesio Zords.

"Connor! The Tyranno-Zord is still outta control!" Ethan yelled as he looked around at the Red Ranger.

"Do something!" Kira cried. Connor let out a low growl.

"Come on! I need you to work with me here!" Connor yelled up at the Zord. He focused as best as he could, and lifted his arm. "Tyranno-Zord!" he called. The Zord roared again, and turned red. As Connor cheered, the other three ran over to him.

"Only one more thing to do!" Doctor Oliver called as he ran over to them. "Bring 'em together," his words made Ari grin widely. "You can do it," he insisted, confident in their abilities.

"Oh, let's do it!" Connor called, and they leapt into their Zords.

"Logging in, combine powers!" they formed their Megazord, and let out excited yells.

"It worked," they were all relieved as they faced the ship.

"_Your power is no match for me_!" the monster yelled. "_Fire_!" he blasted lasers at them, slamming into them and making them cry out as they were pushed back.

"Now I'm mad!" Connor growled. Cables shot down and wrapped around their arms, and shocked them, throwing them about even more.

"Time to head for the back of the net!" Connor yelled. Using the cables still holding them as leverage, the Megazord flew through the air, over the top as the monster cried out. "There's the heart of the ship!" the Red Ranger yelled out to them. "Dino Drill, engage!" they called on their powerful move, and cut through the ship, destroying it and sending the monster flying.

1-2-3-4-5

When Doctor Oliver held out the briefcase containing the morphers a second time, the four teenagers grinned. The morphers changed forms, turning into silver bracelets that held their Dino Gems in them.

"Keep these bracelets with you at all times," Doctor Oliver told them as he held it out to Ethan. "They'll access your morphers when you need them," he told them. Ethan lifted the bracelet that held his blue Gem in it, and Doctor Oliver moved up to Connor. "And, you can use these to communicate with me, and each other," Connor lifted his own, and Doctor Oliver moved up to Ari, who then lifted her own with a smile.

"Doctor O, I know you're real smart, and a science teacher and everything," Kira spoke up as she lifted her bracelet. "But this is...well...how did you..." she trailed off.

"Just how did you build morphers?" Ari finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll fill you in, in time," Doctor Oliver told them as he set the case down and turned to them.

"Speaking of time, you think Mesogog's gonna stick around for a while?" Ethan asked nervously.

"Unfortunately, they always do," Doctor Oliver sighed, and Ari's suspicion grew.

"'They'?" she repeated, and he looked away.

"I know this is a lot to take in. Your lives have just changed in ways you probably couldn't have imagined," Ari sighed as he dodged her question. "But as long as you work together and remember, you're a team, no-one can defeat you. No-one," he told them confidently, and they looked to each other, looking nervous.

**I'm glad you're liking this so far, I hope that continues!**

**Please review and let me know what you think! I shall attempt to get another chapter posted by tomorrow night or Tuesday!**


	3. Wave Goodbye

Chapter 3: Wave Goodbye

"Hayley's Cyberspace?" Kira looked up at the large building that she and Ari stood outside, looking curious. "Connor!" she noticed the new Red Ranger walking over up as well.

"Ethan asked you to come too?" he asked as he walked over to them.

"Yup," Ari nodded brightly. "Told us to get down here quickly, that it was really important," she explained, and Connor nodded, having gotten the same call.

"What is this place?" Kira wondered as she glanced up at the sign over the door.

"No clue," Connor shook his head.

"Let's check it out," Kira decided, and the three walked inside. The place was filled with computers and arcade machines, along with sofas, and small tables.

"Wow...you think he lives here?" Connor asked with a slight grin.

"I think he wishes he lived here," Kira grinned, and the other two laughed.

"There they are! My brother and sisters in crime," they glanced at Ethan as he walked over with a grin. "At least, crime-fighting," he corrected more quietly. "Welcome to my world. What do you think?" he gestured around as he started walking.

"It's awesome!" Ari grinned, amazed by the place.

"You can do anything here!" Ethan told them, sounding excited. "Game, chat online, listen to music, eat, drink," he listed off as Kira and Connor exchanged amused looks.

"Who came up with the idea for this?" Kira asked curiously.

"That would be Hayley," Ethan told her over his shoulder. "She's a techno legend. MIT grad, programming genius! Got tired of working for big time technology, and decided to open up this place," he explained as he turned to face them.

"Good thing for you," Kira smirked.

"No lie," Ethan agreed with a smile.

"Hayley? That name is really familiar..." Ari mumbled, folding her arms.

"_Anyway_, so, what's so important?" Connor asked as he put an arm around Ethan.

"I figured, we're gonna be saving the world together, I wanted you guys to see what I'm about," the new Blue Ranger shrugged, looking a little embarrassed.

"Does that mean you'd be up for trying out skateboarding?" Ari grinned at him, and Ethan laughed lightly back.

"No thank you. That's a little too much exercise for me," Ethan replied, and Ari laughed.

"Hey guys, what can I get you?" a red-haired woman walked over, smiling pleasantly at them.

"I'll just have an apple juice?" Kira asked with a small shrug.

"That's easy," the woman smiled, and led them over to the bar. "Kira, right?" she asked, and the girl nodded, looking confused.

"Yeah...how'd you know?" she asked, which only made the woman's smile grow.

"I'm all about information. It's my business. Now, you sing, don't you?" she asked, and Kira nodded, still frowning a little. "Great, how about this Friday, you and your band play here? We'll call it an audition," she suggested, and Kira's eyes widened.

"Well...yeah! I mean, that would be great!" Kira nodded, amazed at the offer the stranger had offered.

"Great, see you then," the woman nodded, and walked off.

"Okay, I..._love _her," Kira determined as she looked around.

"That's Hayley," Ethan grinned, leaning on the counter. "There's not one kid in here she hasn't helped out somehow," he told them.

"Hasn't helped me," Connor leaned on the counter, looking around with a raised eyebrow.

"Or me," Ari took a seat, looking around as well.

"Connor McKnight," Hayley returned with Kira's drink. "The soccer player. I'm surprised you're not a the open try outs for the Reefside Wave," she commented.

"Open tryouts," Connor stared at her blankly.

"Yeah, at their practice field right now," Hayley nodded with a smile.

"You're kidding, right?" Connor wasn't sure whether to believe her or not.

"No," Hayley shook her head, still smiling.

"You were saying?" Ethan grinned. Connor glanced at him, then back at Hayley, before running off. "Good luck bro!" the Blue Ranger called with a grin.

"And you would be Ari Raynes, the prodigy," Ari paused, and looked around at the red-head. She went red, offering a weak smile.

"I'm not really a prodigy..." she mumbled.

"You're a skateboarder, right?" Hayley asked, and Ari nodded. "There's a demo coming up at the end of next week, it's being held in the park if you're interested?" she asked.

"Of course!" Ari nodded eagerly, before hesitating.

"Don't worry, you're old enough to enter," Hayley smiled, and walked off.

"Oh yeah, she is awesome," Ari decided, making Kira and Ethan grin.

"I gotta go. I gotta put a set-list together, and restring my guitar," Kira decided, standing up. "Here," she passed Ari her apple juice, and hurried off.

"Nothing like spreading the love," Ethan laughed to Ari as they watched the Yellow Ranger run off. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask," he looked the Gold Ranger as she sipped her drink. "Blue Bay Harbour. Why were you there for a year?" he asked curiously, and Ari hesitated. Before she could answer, their morphers beeped. They exchanged looks, and hurried over to a corner out of sight.

"Go for Ari," the Gold Ranger responded instinctively. Ethan shot her a strange look at the way she responded, but she just shrugged.

"_Can you meet me out at the end of Riverside Road in an hour_?" Doctor Oliver requested. The two exchanged confused glances, before responding.

"That we can do. What's up?" she asked curiously.

"_Just be there, and I'll fill you in_," he told them, and ended the communication.

"I hope this doesn't last long, I wanna get some practice in," Ari sighed, and they headed off to meet the science teacher.

1-2-3-4-5

When they met up with Doctor Oliver, Ethan and Ari followed him through the forest, curious.

"So why'd you call us out here?" Ari questioned as she looked about. The forest was peaceful, and just her kind of place.

"After the island exploded, some of my experiments were scattered all throughout this area," he explained as he looked around as well, clearly looking for something. "There," he spotted what he was looking for, and hurried over, crouching beside what looked like a nest. Inside it, were four eggs, glowing different colours.

"What are they?" Ethan asked with a frown.

"Eggs," Ari leaned closer, studying them curiously.

"They don't like any eggs I've ever seen," she commented, looking up. Doctor Oliver gave a small smile.

"That's because they're not," he told her softly, looking back down at the eggs. "We're gonna hatch them, and you're gonna ride them," he looked back up, and both students frowned.

"Maybe it's all the quiet out here that's got me hearing things, but I thought you just said we're gonna ride these," Ethan stood up, staring down at the teacher.

"I did," Doctor Oliver confirmed. "Trust me Ethan, when these things are ready, they're gonna be a big help to us," he reached out and started lifting them, putting them into his bag.

"Well...not the weirdest thing ever," Ari decided, standing up.

"How is it not?!" Ethan demanded, and Ari shrugged, smiling innocently. "Alright, whatever you say," Ethan sighed, shaking his head. Since he had met her, Ari had been very evasive. Almost as evasive as Doctor Oliver. As he helped put them into the bag, something moved nearby, and Ari was standing up straight instantly. "You heard that, right?" Ethan asked, and he and Doctor Oliver stood up.

"We have to protect the eggs, no matter what," the teacher told them.

"Who'd wanna hurt them?" Ethan frowned.

"I would," they looked around quickly to see a woman dressed in all black, wearing black lipstick with her hair up completely out of the way.

"And I," the monster named Zeltrax appeared from behind her, and a group of Tyrannodrones emerged from behind the trees. "I'm starting to have doubts about your intelligence, Doctor Oliver," Zeltrax mocked, before Ari spun around again. She raised her hands, letting two energy balls fly. They slammed straight into the Tyrannodrone creeping up on the pair.

"How about mine?" Ari called back, glancing back at Zeltrax.

"Attack!" he roared, and the Tyrannodrones swarmed them. Ari jumped to the side, spinning and kicking a Tyrannodrone to the ground. She tossed a couple more energy balls out as the monsters ran at her from all sides, and she kicked another one back. However, they continued to run at her, and she was knocked to the ground. She created a shield over her, which gave her enough time to get back to her feet.

"Ethan!" Doctor Oliver called as he fought off his own attackers to protect his bag, which contained the three eggs. "Call the others!" he yelled, and Ethan nodded. Ari tossed another couple of orbs at the Tyrannodrones around Ethan, granting him enough time to contact Connor and Kira. She then received a kick to the back, shoving her on her face.

"Ari, come on!" Ethan called, and she pushed herself up. She nodded, and they activated their morphers.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed, and drew their sabres. While they were able to fight off more of their attackers, there were still too many of them, and Ethan was shoved into a tree. As the Tyrannodrones attempted to attack him again, Connor and Kira leapt in.

"You guys couldn't have done this another day?" Connor demanded as he held his own sabre tightly.

"Hey, direct your complaints to them, not us," Ari rolled her eyes as she gestured to the gathering Tyrannodrones.

"Let's make it quick! Tyranno Staff!" Connor decided, calling on his staff.

"Ptera Grips baby!" Kira summoned her yellow blades.

"Plesio Swords!" Ari grabbed her swords and held them out in front of her.

"Tricera Shield!" Ethan called on his heavy blue shield, which attached to his arm. With their more powerful weapons, the battle quickly turned in favour of the Rangers. Blocking the attacks of several Tyrannodrones by crossing her swords in front of her, Ari grinned and shoved them back, before slashing across their fronts. She then spun through the air, taking the other monsters around her out, before Doctor Oliver managed to do some damage to the woman he was fighting.

"Elsa!" Zeltrax ran to her side, and the Rangers regrouped.

"Done already?" Ari called as she held her swords up. "Cause I'm ready for another round if you are!" she taunted.

"We're not through with you, Power Rangers!" Elsa snarled as she straightened up, looking furious.

"Nor you, Doctor Oliver," Zeltrax warned. The two then disappeared through an invisiportal, and the five sighed.

"They're a pleasant couple," Kira rolled her eyes.

"We better get these back to my place," Doctor Oliver decided, still holding his bag protectively.

"What are they?" Kira asked curiously, looking down at the bag.

"We're gonna ride them!" Ethan told them, and while Connor and Kira remained thoroughly confused, Ari couldn't help but laugh. Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

"Look, I have to get back to try-outs. Can you guys handle this?" Connor spoke up impatiently.

"Yeah, go ahead Connor. They can fill you in later," Doctor Oliver nodded to him.

"Thanks," Connor ran off quickly.

"Good luck!" Ethan called, and they headed back to their base.

1-2-3-4-5

After leaving Doctor Oliver to deal with the eggs, Ethan, Ari and Kira returned to Hayley's Cyberspace. As Ethan played a game and Kira surfed the internet, Ari was scribbling down notes.

"Man, Doctor O is into some weird and funky stuff," Ethan commented without looking up. "I don't even wanna know what he's hatching down in that cave right now," he muttered.

"I have a feeling we won't have to wait very long," Kira shook her head. "What are you doing?" she glanced to Ari.

"Homework," her reply made them both look up. After a moment, she realised they were staring, and looked up. "What?" she asked, looking blank.

"You're doing homework? We've got nothing due for like a week," Ethan frowned in disbelief. Ari shrugged, and looked back down.

"I want to keep on top of it," she told them as she started writing again. "This way, I can get some practice in closer to the competition next week," she shrugged.

"Oh yeah," Kira remembered something. "Since you started staying with me, you've gotten up later than me, until the other day," Ari paused, but didn't look up. "You've been getting up weirdly early. Why?" she asked with a frown.

"I..." Ari bit her lip, and set down her pen. "I'm training," she looked up, and the two frowned at her.

"Training?" Ethan repeated.

"I've been practising martial arts since I was 11," Ari smiled softly. The two looked shocked. It did explain a lot, however. While the Dino Gems provided them with the power to fight, they had quickly seen that the 16 year old possessed a lot more skill than they did. "Since...well, the other day, I've been getting up early to get back into the way of training," she explained with a smile.

"Ari, has everyone ever told you that you're kinda weird?" Ethan asked, and Ari's smile grew.

"They never really stop," she replied, and went back to her homework. Ethan and Kira exchanged stares, before returning to what they were doing. Kira glanced up after a moment, and stopped what she was doing.

"Whoa...who is _that_?" the other two looked over to see a teenager walking in. He was looking around, looking a little lost as he spoke to someone, who shrugged.

"I dunno," Ethan shook his head, not recognising him. Ari glanced up, and grinned as she realised that Kira hadn't taken her eyes off him. "Hello? Anyone in there?" Ethan smirked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Guess not," Ari grinned to Ethan, who smirked back.

"He's really...wow...isn't he?" Kira smiled, not reacting to the pair.

"Can I get you a glass of water? Maybe an oxygen mask?" Ethan laughed.

"Here," Ari offered Kira her apple juice with a giggle.

"Quiet, he's coming over here," Kira turned her head quickly and swatted Ari away. The Gold Ranger laughed, and went back to her work.

"Hey, I'm looking for Hayley? I'm supposed to start work today," the teen said to them, and Kira kept her head low while the other two looked up quickly.

"I think I saw her go into the back," Ari smiled at him. "She'll be back in a moment," the young man nodded, smiling back as he thanked her.

"Haven't I seen you at Reefside?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Yeah, I just moved here last week," he smiled at the Blue Ranger. "My name's Trent," he introduced himself.

"I'm Ethan," he moved in his seat to shake Trent's hand. "That's Ari," Ari waved from the other side of the table with a bright smile. "And this is Kira," he introduced Kira, whose head just went lower.

"Hey," Trent smiled at her, but Kira didn't look up. He let out a soft laugh, raising an eyebrow. "Are you ok?" he asked, but she still didn't react.

"She doesn't speak," Ethan shrugged. "We've been trying for years, but we just can't get through," he told her sadly.

"We've done everything," Ari wiped a mock tear away. "We hope that one day she'll find a reason to – ow!" Ari squeaked as Kira kicked her under the table.

"I'm fine," Kira finally managed to make herself look up at him. "It's nice to meet you," she smiled up at him, and Trent's smile widened.

"She's found a reason to speak! Ow!" Ari cried out as Kira kicked her again. "I have very violent friends who won't appreciate you bruising their baby Ari," Ari warned as she rubbed her leg, and Kira shot her a dark glare, blushing deeply as Ethan laughed.

"Trent!" they looked up as Hayley walked over. "Good timing. Come with me, and I'll get you started," she told him, and he nodded.

"Cool. I'll see you guys later," Trent told the three, his eyes back on Kira. Ethan and Ari waved, and the two walked off.

"Isn't he just so 'wow'?" Ethan mocked, and cried out as Kira kicked his shin.

"Is that how people flirt these days? Refuse to look at them or speak to them?" Ari wondered with a grin.

"Ari, I will hurt you," Kira warned in a low growl, and Ari started laughing. It quickly stopped as Connor walked over, looking dejected.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Ethan asked as he noticed the Red Ranger's arrival.

"How'd it go?!" Connor repeated, sounding frustrated. "It's over! The coach basically said 'forget it'! And who can blame him? I mean, I left in the middle of practise!" he growled angrily, pacing in front of them.

"Well...it's not like you didn't have a good excuse..." Kira frowned.

"Right," Connor rolled his eyes. "Well maybe next time, I'll bring a note from our teacher! 'Sorry, Connor couldn't make it today, he was busy fighting freaky looking dinosaur things in the forest'!" Connor yelled, and the three grabbed him, shoving him along as they shushed him.

"Well, I think that would be a new one for him," Ari commented as she looked around to ensure no-one had heard. "But you can't exactly go around yelling about it," she frowned at him.

"Whatever," Connor just rolled his eyes, and slumped down. "Look, the point is, what was I supposed to say?" he demanded, and the three fell silent, not having an answer. "Man...this whole 'saving the world' deal is seriously starting to bum me out," he sighed heavily.

"It won't last forever you know," Ari told him as she sat on the table in front of him. "We'll be done in no time, you'll see," she insisted.

"But what if I completely miss my chance by the time we are finished?" he demanded, and Ari fell silent, not knowing what to say. She looked down at her hands. "I need to talk to Doctor Oliver," Connor decided.

"Uh...I think he may be kinda busy," Kira stopped him as he went to stand. "He's got this whole new project-"

"Too bad!" Connor yelled. "I was busy today, that didn't stop him from messing up my life," Connor growled at them, and stormed off.

"Wait, we'll go with you!" Ethan called, and they followed him out of Hayley's Cyberspace quickly.

1-2-3-4-5

The four arrived at Doctor Oliver's, and heard his yell as soon as they walked in, followed by what sounded like a loud squawking noise.

"Don't come in! It's not safe!" as they looked around, they heard their teacher call out to them. A moment later, he was tossed through the air.

"Yeah...we kinda got that..." Kira raised an eyebrow. A large tail swung nearby, and Doctor Oliver crashed to the ground in front of them. He was covered in slime, and looked exhausted as he stood up.

"Is that what was in those eggs?" Ari stared at their teacher. "They're massive! It's only been like 2 hours!" she exclaimed as he nodded.

"I'm trying to train them," Doctor Oliver explained as he wiped his slime covered hands on his trousers.

"How's it coming?" Ethan asked slowly.

"Slowly...whoa!" he ducked, narrowly avoiding a large red tail. "Very slowly," he coughed as he breathed in the dust that surrounded him.

"Look, I can see that you're busy with...well, whatever. But I need to talk," Connor told him, before a golden tail hit Doctor Oliver and he was thrown out of the basement and into the tunnel.

"Guess I could take a break," he sighed as the door shut over, shutting them out. Ethan helped him up, and instantly regretted it as he was covered in slime. "Alright, what's up?" Doctor Oliver asked as Ari giggled at Ethan's disgusted expression.

"You gotta find someone to replace me," Connor told him, and Ari's laughter stopped instantly.

"What are you talking about?" Kira demanded.

"You're talking crazy!" Ethan insisted.

"We need the Red guy," Ari told him firmly.

"Alright, settle down, you three," Doctor Oliver spoke quickly as Connor scowled at them. "What's the problem?" he asked Connor.

"Look, I'm a soccer player. That's _all _I've ever wanted to do," Connor told him softly. "You know, every moment of my life has led up to playing for a pro team. And I get the greatest chance of my life, and I blow it," he growled at the science teacher.

"I understand. And you're right," Doctor Oliver nodded.

"You're agreeing with him?" Ethan demanded.

"Connor. I know how you feel, cause I felt that way before," the teacher ignored the Blue Ranger. "But I want you to think about this before you do anything," he pleaded with Connor.

"Look. I've got things I want to do," Kira reminded him. "But I'm here, I'm dealing!" she pointed out.

"Good for you. I guess I'm just different," Connor shook his head, and walked off before they could stop him.

"So much for Red being a leader," Ari sighed, putting a hand to her face.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, you sure you don't want to come with us?" Kira asked as she and Ethan stood at a table in Hayley's Cyberspace.

"I'm sure. Like I said earlier, I wanna get this work done," Ari didn't look up as she scribbled down answers to homework that Doctor Oliver had given them.

"You sure it's not because you're mad at Connor?" Ethan asked. Ari didn't reply, and the two sighed.

"Ok, well we'll catch you later," Kira told her, and the two headed off as Ari kept writing. When they left, she sighed, setting down her pencil.

"Urgh, why is this so confusing?" she ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face. "At least with Hunter and Blake, their reasons for not wanting to join us was worrying about putting us in harms way...ahhh, he's such a jerk," Ari groaned, pressing her face to her book.

"You look like you could do with this," she looked up at Hayley, who set a milkshake down beside her.

"Thanks," Ari managed a small smile, pulling the large glass over. "Hey, is it selfish to drop everything to focus on what you want? And is it even more selfish to expect someone to put their dreams on hold, even if it's just for a little while?" she asked Hayley, who paused. A slight frown line creased between her eyes as she thought about it.

"I think...that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself," Hayley spoke after a minute, and Ari groaned.

"That's exactly what Sensei would have said," she complained under her breath.

"It'll all work out in the end," Hayley smiled at her. "Enjoy the milkshake. It's on the house," she told her, and Ari thanked her as she walked away. Ari took a drink of the strawberry milkshake, and couldn't help but smile softly.

"Definitely one way to cheer up," Ari decided, returning to her homework. A few minutes passed, before her morpher beeped and she looked up. She stood up, going to a corner where no-one could see her, before she responded. "What's up?" she answered, looking around carefully.

"_We have a situation_," Doctor Oliver responded.

"Let me guess, a freaky looking monster terrorising the city?" Ari questioned with a sigh.

"_You guessed right. The others are heading there now_," he told her.

"On my way," Ari ended the communication and grabbed her things, finishing her milkshake as she shoved her homework into her bag. "Thanks for the milkshake Hayley!" the Gold Ranger called as she hurried out, and the red-head smiled.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari arrived at the fight to find the other three already morphed and fighting what looked like a giant plant crossed with a bird. The monster floored the three, and Ari stepped in, landing a kick to his back.

"Wow, you're a big bird," she commented as he stumbled forwards before spinning around. "Mind if I crash this party?" she smiled at him, before switching her morpher to its true form. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" she morphed into her golden suit and drew her Plesio Swords, slashing down his front.

"Hey bird brain!" Ethan got his attention as Ari jumped back. "Thundermax!" he and Connor fired their small blasters at him.

"Thanks guys," Kira got back to her feet, nodding at the three.

"Nice moves," Ethan glanced to Ari, who just smiled back.

"Give up?" Connor called as he aimed his blaster at the monster.

"Catch me if you can!" the bird monster leapt into the air and shot off before they could stop him.

"He's getting away!" Kira went to follow, but Connor stopped her quickly.

"We'll never catch him," he shook his head. Ari frowned, knowing that she could easily, but even now she was wary about revealing her ninja training to the other three. Before she could decide on what to do, their morphers beeped again.

"_You can_," Doctor Oliver told them confidently. "_Meet the Raptor Riders_," his words confused them, until they heard a screech behind them. Four raptors ran towards them, each a different colour for the Rangers. Connor cheered, and leapt onto a red one as it passed. Ethan, Ari and Kira followed suit, cheering as well as they chased after the monster.

"There he goes!" Kira called as they started to catch up to the monster.

"On it!" Ethan nodded. They followed him to a group of Tyrannodrones who were chasing away screaming civilians, and Connor spotted a little girl backing away from one of the monsters who had spotted her.

"No!" Connor yelled, and the other three glanced to him. "I'll help the girl, you follow that freak!" he instructed. They nodded, and veered off after the flying monster as Connor went to take out the Tyrannodrones.

"Watch out!" Kira called as they sped down the road. "On your left!" she called.

"I've got your back!" Ethan nodded. Ari let out a loud cheer as she moved easily around a car, seeming to be steering a lot more effortlessly than the other two.

"How are you doing that?" Kira demanded as Ari laughed, jumping over a car.

"Once you know how to ride a motocross bike, you can ride anything!" the Gold Ranger told her, before leaping up onto a building as the monster flew up higher. Kira and Ethan followed her up, and with a laugh, the monster then flew back down to the ground.

"Whoa!" Kira slowed to a stop at the edge, and looked down.

"You afraid of heights?" the monster mocked as he looked back up at them.

"You wish, you freaky bird!" Kira yelled, and leapt down, slashing at the surprised monster with her Ptera Grip.

"Tyranno Staff!" Connor hit him next, slamming his staff across the monster. He went flying, and the four regrouped, jumping behind Connor to combine their weapons.

"Z-Rex Blaster!" they formed their cannon. "Firing!" they blasted the monster with their combined strength, destroying him.

"That goose is cooked!" Ethan cheered as they leapt off their Raptors.

"Uh, give it a moment," Ari spoke warily, and they looked at her quickly, just as a black cloud appeared overhead. It rained down on what was left of the monster, causing it to regenerate and grow much larger than before. Connor, Kira and Ethan cried out and backed away in shock.

"Doctor O, we may have a problem on our hands," Connor told their teacher quickly.

"_Let me guess. A 30-storey version of that guy you were just fighting_?" Doctor Oliver suggested.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Ethan realised.

"_Once or twice_," Doctor Oliver replied softly. "_I'll send the Dino Zords_," he added, and the monster looked around as the four Zords appeared.

"Ready?" Connor asked, and they nodded, leaping into their Zords. They combined all four Zords, creating the Thundersaurus Megazord, and were instantly blasted by their opponent.

"I've got an idea!" Kira called as they recovered from the hit. "PteraRang!" they tossed the wings of the Ptera-Zord that were on the front of the Megazord, slashing the monster several times. They then leapt into the air and used their Dino Drill attack, destroying the monster completely. "Now that's what I call monster busting!" Kira cheered, and the others nodded with cheers of their own.

Seeing the little girl he had rescued, the four Rangers leapt from the Megazord and landed nearby. Connor waved to the girl, who was standing with her mother, and she ran over with a bright smile.

"Thank you," the girl hugged him, and Connor nodded as he hugged her back.

"Now there's the leader you were looking for," Ari grinned to Ethan, who nodded as they watched.

1-2-3-4-5

"Nervous?" Ari asked as she looked up at Kira, who was setting up her guitar for her show.

"A little, yeah," the Yellow Ranger nodded.

"You'll be great," Ari smiled at her. "Besides, it can't be scarier than your other hobby," her smile widened as Kira couldn't help but smile back.

"You have a point," she nodded. "Hey, earlier you said something about riding a motocross bike," Ari nodded.

"I learned last year in Blue Bay Harbour. A couple of my friends are really into Motocross, and I figured I'd try it out. Wasn't for me though. I prefer my skateboarding," she told Kira, whose frown only grew.

"And you knew when that monster was about to grow," Ari hesitated this time, and she was spared an answer as Trent walked over, carrying two lemonades.

"Good luck Kira," he smiled up at the Yellow Ranger, handing her one of the drinks. He then passed the other to Ari, who smiled at him. As he walked off, Ari turned a smirk on Kira.

"Isn't he just so...'wow'?" she mimicked Kira, who went red.

"Shut up and get off my stage," she warned, making Ari laugh. She jumped up and walked over to Ethan, just as Connor walked in.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here," Ethan greeted.

"Why not?" Connor raised an eyebrow. "We're partners in crime fighting, aren't we?" he grinned, and both Ethan and Ari blinked at him, still believing he had quit.

"Are we?" Ari tilted her head.

"We are," Connor confirmed. The Blue and Gold Rangers grinned at him, and Ari hugged Connor, who laughed as he hugged her back.

"Glad to hear it. And sorry we gave you a hard time about it," she apologised, releasing him and stepping back, still smiling.

"Hey, what happened with the Wave?" Ethan asked as they walked over to the bar.

"I had to make a choice. That little girl made me realise that there's nothing more important than what we're doing," Connor explained as they sat down.

"Hey Connor," Hayley greeted, carrying drinks over. "Sorry you didn't make the team," Connor stared at her as Ethan grinned and Ari giggled.

"Uh...yeah..." he didn't know what else to say.

"These are on the house," Hayley told him as she set the drinks down, and walked off.

"How does she do that?" Connor managed a laugh.

"Hayley knows all man," Ethan grinned back. "And I'm sorry too," he added, his smile dropping a little.

"Same here," Ari nodded from Connor's other side.

"Yeah, look, you know I'd still have chosen you guys, right?" he looked to the pair, and they grinned back.

"We know," Connor grinned.

"Thanks guys," they looked around as Hayley spoke up from the stage. "Tonight we've got something really special for you. A young woman with a lot to say, ladies and gentlemen, Kira Ford!" they clapped for Kira as she stepped forwards, and started to play.

"Hey, wasn't Doctor O supposed to be here?" Ethan frowned as he remembered their teacher promising to see Kira perform.

"Guess he got a little carried away with his projects," Ari shrugged. "Or maybe he fell asleep, those raptors were using him as a toy," the three shrugged, and returned their attention to Kira, unaware of the trouble taking place right outside.

**I got so much written today it was unbelievable. Very happy with that.**

**I hope you liked it! **

**Please review!**


	4. Legacy of Power

Chapter 4: Legacy of Power

Walking into the basement of Doctor Oliver's home that was their base, the four Dino Thunder Rangers looked around for any sign of their teacher, all of them worried.

"This is bad," Kira spoke as she looked around, but none of them could find Doctor Oliver.

"Way bad. Worse than crashing after getting to level 9 in SNSW!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Super Ninja Space Wars," Ari translated when Kira and Connor looked at the Blue Ranger blankly. She had seen Ethan playing the game a lot in Hayley's Cyberspace. "I don't like this either," Ari felt uneasy.

"Ok, don't you think we're getting a little _too _freaked out about this?" Connor asked, trying to calm the three down.

"Doctor O doesn't show up for my gig, then misses a full day of school, _without _calling," Kira frowned at him. They had all been harassed by Randall for information on where he was. "I'd say we've achieved exactly the right level of freaking out!" she exclaimed.

"Connor has a point, sort of," Ari shook her head. "Whatever has happened to him, we can't freak out," she told them when all three stared at her.

"I guess there's only one way to find out what the good doctor has been up to," Ethan decided, and walked over to the computer.

"How's that?" Connor asked as they stood behind him.

"I'm in," after a moment of typing, Ethan grinned.

"Yeah...but where?" Kira frowned when a video of Doctor Oliver appeared on the screen. He backed away from the camera, and sat down.

"_I'm Tommy Oliver_," he introduced himself after a moment. "_If you're not me, then something is seriously wrong_," all four stared at the screen with wide eyes. "_This video diary is a confidential record, only to be viewed in case of an emergency_. _What you're about to see, is a history of my life_," Doctor Oliver told them.

"More dinosaur bone stories. Yawn," Connor rolled his eyes.

"I like those stories," Ari looked at him with wide eyes.

"_My history, as a Power Ranger_," Doctor Oliver revealed, and Ari looked back at the screen quickly.

"Ok, unyawn," Connor corrected himself.

"I knew it," Ari whispered, but as the others went to question her, Doctor Oliver continued.

"_My story begins in Angel Grove, when five teenagers with attitude were recruited to fight the evil space sorceress, Rita Repulsa_," the four stunned Rangers watched as five teenagers like themselves morphed into Rangers. "_They harnessed the power of the Dinosaur to become Earth's first Power Rangers_," the five fought off the footsoldiers around them as a robot cheered them on. "_Under the guidance of intergalactic being Zordon, Trini, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Jason bravely defended Earth, which forced Rita to create her own Ranger_," Doctor Oliver spoke.

"Ok, so where's Doctor O?" Kira asked as the video changed to Angel Grove High School. It revealed Doctor Oliver, much younger, and wearing green.

"_**I'm Kimberly**_**,"** the Pink Ranger introduced herself. **"**_**You're new around here**_**, **_**aren't you**_**?"**

"_**Yeah, I'm Tommy**_**,"** he introduced himself.

Ari smirked, instantly seeing the crush that developed between the two. The video changed, and the Rangers couldn't look away.

"_**What's going on**_**?!"** Tommy demanded as a heavy wind battered him.

"_**Tommy! I have chosen you**_**!"** Rita Repulsa declared as she took control of him.

"_Her evil magic was too strong. I couldn't fight it_," Doctor Oliver spoke softly as they watched him become the Green Ranger and take on the other Power Rangers. "_She commanded me to destroy the other Rangers...and I almost succeeded_," he admitted, and they heard the guilt in his voice.

"_I know you're the Green Ranger_," Kimberly whispered to a much fiercer looking Tommy.

"_**Well then, Pink Ranger. You should also know that you, and the other Power Rangers, will soon be destroyed**_**,"** he warned her with a dark smirk.

"_But my friends never gave up. They helped me destroy the Power Sword, and I was freed_" Doctor Oliver spoke as Jason defeated the Green Ranger and freed Tommy from the spell.

"_**What's happening to me**_**?"** Tommy asked weakly as Jason helped him up.

"_**You're no longer under Rita's power. Fight by our side and we can defeat Rita,**_**"** Jason insisted.

"_**After everything that's happened**_**?"** Tommy stared at him.

"_**Tommy, we need you. It's where you belong**_**,"** Jason insisted. **"**_**Will you join us Tommy**_**?" **Jason and Tommy shook hands as Tommy smiled.

"_And that's when I joined the team. But not for long. I soon discovered, the Green Ranger powers, were only temporary_."

"_**As you are aware, the Green Ranger powers were completely decimated by the last few battles. Alpha and I felt it was time to create an even more powerful Ranger, to battle Lord Zedd, and his diabolical evil**_**,"** the one they assumed was Zordon spoke.** "**_**And now, my friends, I present to you, the White Ranger**_**," **he announced, and a new Ranger was shown on screen. He removed his helmet, to reveal Tommy.

"_**Guess who's back**_**,"** he smiled at his friends, and the video was paused. The three Rangers still standing looked at Ethan quickly.

"What did you do that for?" Kira asked in her irritation.

"Cause I'm so buggin', I can't even deal!" Ethan defended as all of them took a breath, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Our teacher is the oldest living Power Ranger," Connor breathed.

"Not the oldest," all of them spun around quickly as Ethan minimized the video quickly. They stared at Hayley, who stood at the entrance. "Just the best," she spoke softly.

"Hayley?" Ethan squinted as if he wasn't sure she was there.

"How did you get in here?" Connor demanded as they walked over to her.

"Forget that," Ari shook her head quickly. "You know about Doctor Oliver being a Ranger. What else do you know?" she asked as they stood in the middle of the basement.

"I know that Tommy is in trouble. And you four are the only ones who can help him," they all went quiet as she walked towards them. "I've been helping Tommy prepare the Ranger energies since grad-school. Who do you think build the morphers?" Hayley rolled her eyes. "I mean, Tommy's good with dinosaurs and fossils, but a rocket scientist, he ain't," she shook her head with a small smirk.

"And lemme guess. You are," Connor frowned at her.

"Among other things," Hayley nodded as her smile faded.

"Ok, so you know who we are, and you know _what _we are. Do you know where Doctor Oliver is?" Kira demanded.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Hayley nodded, and reached into her bag. She pulled out a disk, and walked over to the computer. "This is a surveillance tape from the day of your gig, Kira," Hayley explained as they gathered around to watch a video of Doctor Oliver being attacked by Tyrannodrones, who grabbed him and disappeared.

"Why didn't he just morph?" Connor asked as he looked down at Hayley. "I mean, he's a Power Ranger," Hayley frowned, and looked up at him.

"Not anymore," she told him. "Or didn't you get that far?" she started the video up again, and footage of another alien showed up.

"_**Try to escape this, Power Rangers**_**!"** he laughed mockingly at them.

"_A new villain, Lord Zedd, was destroying Earth. And with three Rangers leaving, a new Power source had to be found_," Doctor Oliver's narration continued.

"_**The Sword of Light will allow your powers to be transferred to create new Rangers**_**," **Zordon revealed the three new candidates, who Tommy already seemed to know.

"_**Rocky! Adam! Aisha**_**!"** Tommy smiled brightly at the three.

"He's kinda cute," Kira commented as she looked at Adam. Ari just started giggling, and both Connor and Ethan rolled their eyes.

"_Trini, Zack and Jason passed on their powers, and the three new Rangers stepped forward_," Doctor Oliver explained, before Rita and Zedd were shown together. "_And just in time, as Rita and Zedd teamed up to form our most powerful enemy yet, bringing with them a new terror: Rito_," they watched as the Rangers were defeated and their Zords destroyed. "_The new team fought bravely, but it wasn't enough. Rito destroyed our Zords_," Doctor Oliver explained as Ari's laughter stopped.

"_**Looks like we lost more than just our Zords. We've lost our Powers**_**,"** Tommy told the others as he looked around.

"_**Your journey is about to begin**_**!"** a figure in blue announced grandly.

"_A Ranger never gives up. Zordon sent us on a quest to find Ninjor, a warrior from the past who showed us the secrets of the ancient Ninja_," Doctor Oliver told them, and Ari grinned widely.

"What?" Connor noticed her expression, and she shrugged.

"Ninjas are awesome," she told him, and after sending her a weird look, he returned his attention to the video.

"_Our quest complete, we gained new weapons, new Zords, and new enemies_," the Rangers in new gear, fought off Tenga warriors. "_But along with new enemies, came new friends_," Tommy introduced himself to an Australian girl called Katherine. "_When Kimberly chose to leave, Katherine was the only choice,_" it showed Kimberly giving up her powers. "_Katherine assumed the Pink Ranger powers, and just in time. We were under attack. We got out just as Rita and Zedd succeeded in destroying the Command Centre_," the video changed to reveal the Rangers finding a large crystal in the wreckage.

"_**It's all here**_**," **Tommy spoke. **"**_**This is incredible**_**,"** the ground moved underneath them, and collapsed.

"_Beneath the ruins, we found the Zeo Crystral, a mystical power that guided us into the next chapter of our lives as Rangers_," Doctor Oliver explained.

"_**Rangers. The power of the Zeo Crystal now resides within you. They will bestow you with powers beyond your imagination**_**,"** Zordon explained as they gained new powers. They were shown morphing into the Zeo Rangers, when Tommy became the Red Ranger.

"_The Zeo Powers were awesome, but when we needed reinforcements, we turned to an old friend_," Doctor Oliver spoke again, and the video showed Tommy grinning.

"_**The new Gold Ranger is right here**_**,"** Tommy pointed over his shoulder, and Jason revealed himself, grinning as he lifted his sunglasses off.

"_Jason returned, and assumed the power of the Gold Ranger_," Doctor Oliver told them, and Ari's smile widened.

"The first Red Ranger was the first Gold? He's my favourite," she decided, and the others grinned. The video continued, with Jason dominating battles, before it switched to a graduation.

"_After high-school graduation, we were ready to face the world. But not before going on one last adventure as Rangers. It was time to shift into a higher gear_," Doctor Oliver spoke as the Rangers walked towards their new Zords.

"_**Shift into Turbo**_**!"** Tommy called as they shot across a desert in their car-Zords.

"_The old Rangers were gone forever. But the Turbo Rangers were born. A space pirate named Divatox launched an attack on Earth. We were given the powers of Turbo and took her head-on_! _With a little help_," he added as the four wondered why they were missing a Blue Ranger.

"_**Guys, **_**I'm **_**the new Blue Ranger**_**!"** a young boy announced with a wide grin.

"Dude, and they say _I'm _young," Ari frowned in disbelief. The video showed Tommy and Katherine being overwhelmed, before others stepped in.

"_TJ, Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos, proved they had what it takes_," the video showed a new mentor asking them who they selected to succeed them, and the four who helped them stepped forwards in their suits. The video then paused, and the four students looked to Hayley again.

"After that, Tommy went to college, where he met yours truly," she told them briefly. "But when he found the Dino Gems, he knew he could never escape the Power for long," she explained.

"Seeing as I don't want us to be the end of the line, can we get back onto the subject of _finding _Doctor O?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What about an invisiportal?" Ari asked, and they all looked over at her. "I mean that's how they took him, and that's how Kira got back here," she reminded them.

"I've been working on that very thing," Hayley nodded. "Unfortunately, I need just a little more time," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Ok, so what are we supposed to do while you're doing that?" Connor frowned, not liking the idea of sitting around doing nothing.

"Here. Watch more of your heritage," Hayley decided, bringing up more footage of past teams. "You might learn something," Ari bit her lip, hoping they found Doctor Oliver before they got far into the footage.

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While she was nervous, Ari couldn't help but find the footage fascinating. The Space Rangers, the Galaxy Rangers, and the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers were all shown on the screen, before Hayley paused the video again. Having been so into it, both Ari and Ethan let out cries of protest.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Ethan complained.

"Sorry, but I've got something," Hayley told them, smiling slightly at how into the video the four had gotten.

"Have you found him?" Ari asked hopefully.

"Almost," Hayley's smile dropped. "I've got a lock on the back-door to Mesogog's firewall. In theory, it should lead us right to an Invisiportal," she told them.

"Then what?" Kira raised an eyebrow at the genius.

"Uh...I'll let you know when I get there..." Hayley spoke, making them sighed.

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"What's happening?" Connor demanded as they watched Hayley, who let out a groan of frustration. The screens, that showed Reefside as they scanned for an Invisportal, all went black, with 'search failed' appearing in red.

"Either I'm losing my touch, or Mesogog is really smart. For a mutant freak," Hayley scowled. She didn't like failing. The screens turned fuzzy, and the Rangers frowned.

"What's it doing now?" Kira asked as another video was shown.

"It's retrieving more Ranger history," Hayley told her as they all become immersed in the video again.

"_**My friends and I came from the year 3000**_**,"** the girl on screen explained, holding a morpher in her hand.

"Whoa, hold up!" Ethan paused the video again. "Rangers, from the _future_?" he demanded.

"They're down with time travel and everything right?" Kira mused as she looked to the other four. "Couldn't they take us back to the moment when Doctor O was kidnapped?" she suggested.

"What, so we can watch it happen all over again?" Connor scoffed. All four stared at him. "Oh...so we can stop them...got it..." he nodded, and Ari giggled as the others shook their heads.

"It's worth a shot," Kira nodded. "Let's see if it tells us how to stop them," she hit play again, and they watched the video again.

"_**We're trying to capture a group of mutants that escaped through time, and take them back with us**_**,"** the girl explained to a sceptic looking young man on a bike.** "**_**We think you may be the only one who can unlock these morphers so we can defeat them**_**," **she said, before the video switched to her handing over the morpher, along with a couple of others.

"_Rangers from the future chased a mutant criminal through time,_" Doctor Oliver spoke up once again as the five morphed. "_But it took a modern day hero to help finish the job_," it showed another young man being thrown about, being gaining a morpher of his own. "_It took a while for Eric to learn that the greatest virtue of being a Ranger is not the power, but the reward of helping mankind_," he morphed into a black and red suit.

"That was sick...but not helpful," Ethan decided as he looked to the others. They were all worried about Doctor Oliver, and they were finding nothing to help locate him.

"Ok, so what about all the other Rangers?" Connor suggested. "I mean, there must be hundreds of them all over the place! Couldn't we team up and scout all over the city?" he asked.

"It's not that easy," Hayley shook her head. "Most Rangers don't have their powers anymore. Some never wanted them at all..." she murmured as the video continued.

"_**We need a fifth Ranger**_**,"** a girl on the screen spoke, before another Ranger landed behind them.

"_**Calm down guys**_**,"** she scoffed, demorphing. **"**_**I say we're doing just fine the way we are**_**,"** she told them.

"_Cole joined, and the Wild Force Rangers used the spirits of the ancient animals to fight the evil Orgs; creatures determined to conquer Earth through pollution and destruction. The final member to join was Merrick, the lunar wolf_," the video showed a man in strange white robes, his face covered in dirt. He morphed into a blue and silver suit, before all of them stood together, and their Zords appeared behind them in different coloured lights.

"And meanwhile, back in reality, we still have no way to find Doctor O," Ethan told them all, bringing them back down to Earth.

"I know there's at least one more group of Rangers out there," Hayley nodded. "They had a guy named Cam, he's even more of a genius at this stuff than I am," she told them, and Ari's eyes widened as she finally realised where she had heard Hayley's name. Cam had mentioned her to her a few times.

"Ninja Storm," Ari finally spoke up softly, and they all looked at her quickly.

"Yeah! That's it!" Connor nodded quickly. "My twin brother went to this super-secret Ninja school. Everyone there knew a few of the students got chosen to be Rangers!" he told the others as they turned their attention to him. "How did you know?" he asked curiously.

"Dammit Eric, it's supposed to be a secret," Ari muttered with a heavy sigh.

"That's right, you know my brother!" Connor remembered when they had first met. "And you know about the Wind Ninja Academy? How?" he asked.

"Look! I found them!" Hayley spoke up before Ari could answer.

"_These_," Cam spoke up, and Ari couldn't help but smile softly as she saw her friends on the screen. **"**_**Are your Power Ranger Wind Morphers**_**,"** Cam told Shane, Dustin and Tori. Dustin started laughing in his excitement.

"_**Yes! See? I knew it dude! I was right, Power Rangers **_**are **_**real**_**!"** he was cheering happily as he took the Earth morpher.

"_**From this point, you will be known as the Wind Power Rangers**_**,"** Sensei spoke up in his guinea pig form, making Connor, Kira, Ethan and Hayley jolt as Ari's smile only grew.

"_Three unlikely Ninja students commanded the Power of Earth, Air and Water_," Doctor Oliver spoke up. "_But they wouldn't face this battle alone. A young Sun Ninja joined their ranks to help them, even if at first they didn't believe she could help_," he spoke over footage of the Gold Ninja Ranger in her first battle, easily defeating her opponent before demorphing.

"Wait," Connor immediately stopped the video and they all looked with wide eyes to Ari, who was still looking up at her slightly younger self. It had only been a year, but she felt and looked much older.

"_That's _why you were in Blue Bay Harbour for a year," Kira realised.

"And that's why Doctor O recognised you!" Ethan added in. Ari finally looked away from the screen to survey their expressions. Even Hayley looked shocked. She gave a wry smile.

"Yeah, you're both right. My cover story was that I was taking part in a special course for my martial arts classes, or just studying," Ari spoke softly. "That's how I know Eric. I was one of the four fighting off the Kelzacks when he and his idiot friends tried to help," she looked to Connor.

"But I thought-"

"They were older?" Ari finished for him, and Connor fell silent. "I figured as much. Of course, you're not the only one to think I was too young," she looked back to the screen, at Shane, Tori and Dustin.

"So you're a Ninja?" Ethan blinked several times at her. "A Ninja student?" he questioned.

"I'm a Sun Ninja, yes, but I graduated with the others after we defeated Lothor," Ari then smiled at them, a much more relaxed and open smile than they had seen from her. "It's kind of a relief that you guys know now. Even if you're mad at me for not telling you," she admitted.

"We're not mad," both Ethan and Connor hugged her instantly.

"Huh. I'm beginning to think Blake was right about the whole demon powers thing," Ari giggled to herself as they released her, and watched the rest of the video.

"_Even at a younger age, it didn't take Ari long to prove herself to the other Rangers-_"

"Didn't take long my backside," Ari muttered under her breath.

"_Her skills as a Sun Ninja were a valuable asset to the team, along with a strange power that helped to keep her in the fight_," Ari's smile completely dropped as the video showed her disappearing and reappearing in a different place.

"Please don't ask about that stupid power. I've still not figured that bit out," she didn't look away from the screen, but knew the others were looking at her again.

"_It was the Power of Thunder that gave them their biggest challenge_," Doctor Oliver continued as it showed the Crimson and Navy Rangers, who took out the four Rangers with ease.

"_**Hey**_**!"** Shane yelled as the video showed the Crimson and Navy Rangers holding Cam and Ari in their grasp. The other Dino Rangers looked at Ari, who just shrugged.

"_But their greatest enemies..._" the two demorphed to reveal their identities, throwing Cam into the others before escaping with Ari. "_Proved to be their greatest allies_," it showed Hunter demorphing on the island.

"_**Do you know who we are**_**?" **Shane asked cautiously.

"_**Yeah, my friends**_**,"** Hunter nodded, and the scene changed again.

"_When their powers were stolen, a new power stepped in to help, one that they didn't expect_," Zoe was shown on the screen, standing over Ari, who was still morphed. "_A graduated Moon Ninja, Zoe was an ally that the Rangers desperately needed_," the Gold and Silver Rangers took out Madtropolis together.

"_**Sorry to spoil your fun**_**!"** Ari leaned forwards a little as Cam was shown, fighting his father's twin brother as he placed the Samurai Amulet around his neck.

"_With Earth on the brink of destruction, another friend, Cam, went back in time, to retrieve the one power that could save them all. The power of the Green Samurai,_" the Green Ranger on screen demorphed to reveal Cam, who smiled at his weakened team. "_In their final battle against Lothor, the Rangers made the ultimate sacrifice_," Doctor Oliver continued as the scene changed to show Lothor fighting them at the Abyss of Evil.

"_**I have your Ranger Powers**_**!"** Lothor declared, holding up the Samurai Amulet, which he had stolen from Cam.

"_**We may not be Power Rangers, but we still have power**_**!"** Shane was back on his feet. **"**_**Power of Air**_**!"**

"**_Power of Earth_!"**

"_**Power of Water**_**!"** The three combined their powers, and defeated Lothor, tossing him into the Abyss, which caused a large purple explosion on screen.

"Whoa! Ninjas _are _real!" Ethan exclaimed in excitement. "I knew it! And there's one right here!" he looked at Ari, who laughed, running a hand through her hair.

"Hey, my brother taught me some of his moves," Connor told them. "Watch!" he stepped back, and performed several punches and kicks that Ari had seen Dustin practice on many occasions. He then spun around to kick out again, only to hit a computer, causing it to explode.

"Please tell me that didn't just happen," Kira breathed.

"I think we just lost our last hope of finding Tommy," Hayley's eyes were wide and staring at the screen.

1-2-3-4-5

After a little while of letting Hayley work quickly, Connor couldn't take it anymore.

"Anything?" he asked desperately, praying he hadn't just cost them finding their teacher.

"Got it!" Hayley yelled as the screen returned to normal, and they all breathed out in relief. Ari nudged the Red Ranger and smiled, and he smiled back in relief.

"We are so lucky you're a genius," Ethan grinned.

"Even geniuses need help sometimes," Hayley looked at them with a wide smile. "That little jolt must have done something to the wiring, 'cause I'm getting something!" she told them. They all looked back to the computer, just as Doctor Oliver's video returned to the screen.

"_With the return of Mesogog, it become necessary to invoke the power of the Dino Gems. Should anything happen to me, these four are in charge of protecting the planet_," Doctor Oliver told them, and the video changed to footage of the four receiving their morphers, and morphing.

"It's us," Kira blinked rapidly at the screens as she breathed out.

"_You're in good hands_," Doctor Oliver nodded.

"He really trusts us..." Connor muttered.

"He does," Hayley confirmed with a softer smile.

"We have to save him. We owe it to him," Ethan spoke up.

"The whole world owes him," Kira agreed.

"I hear that," Ari grinned widely, before the computer beeped.

"It worked!" Hayley looked back at the computer and smiled widely. "I've got a lock on an Invisiportal!" she told them quickly as she zoomed in on the location.

"Time to go save a teacher," the Red Ranger grinned as he put his hands together. Ethan, Ari and Kira grinned at him, ready to find Doctor Oliver and bring him back.

**Thanks to all who have reviewed/favourited/followed so far!**

**I hope you liked it, and I plan on updating tomorrow night, assuming I'm not distracted by something else...**

**Anyways, please review!**


	5. Back in Black

Chapter 5: Back in Black

Nodding to each other as Hayley locked onto the Invisiportal's coordinates, the four Rangers headed off to save their teacher.

"Remember, you have to reach a speed of 563 miles per hour upon entry, otherwise you'll never make it past the security wall and will probably be ripped to pieces!" Hayley's reminder made them all freeze on the spot. "Did I not mention that...?" Hayley looked around slowly to find the four staring at her incredulously. "I'll take that as a yes," she turned back around quickly.

"How exactly are we supposed to get through then? Even I can't move that fast," Ari gaped, and the other three looked at her. "Oh, I have a lot to tell you guys when we save Doctor O," she couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Never fear, I have something for just such an occasion," Hayley smiled, pressing a button on the keyboard. A wall rose up nearby, revealing four bikes in red, blue, yellow and gold.

"Oh this is too awesome!" Ari bounced over to her bike. "Almost as cool as the Tsunami Cycle Cam built me," she giggled, and Hayley shot her a frown that only made her giggle more.

"Which one's mine?" Connor asked with a wide grin, and the others looked at him. "I'm kidding!" he rolled his eyes when he saw their expressions.

"You so weren't kidding," Ethan argued with a grin.

"These are your new Raptor Cycles," Hayley walked over to the bikes. "They should have you to the portal coordinates in approximately 92.75 seconds," she told them with a proud smile.

"And when we get there?" Kira raised an eyebrow.

"You should use your Gems to access the Hyper Drive. Then head straight through the portal to Mesogog's island fortress," Hayley told them, and Connor's grin instantly dropped.

"Wait, did you just say 'island fortress'?" Connor asked slowly.

"Yes, why?" Hayley frowned at him, not understanding why he now looked uncomfortable.

"Well...islands, they...surrounded by water," Connor looked down at the ground.

"Usually..." the red-haired genius nodded, not getting it. Ethan's eyes widened as he realised.

"No...you can't swim?" Ethan looked close to laughing. Connor glared at him as he went red.

"I didn't say that!" he snapped defensively.

"But it's true. You can't," Ethan's grin only grew as Connor looked embarrassed.

"The Invisiportal will take you _directly_ to the island," Hayley spoke up before Connor got any more worked up. She walked past them again. "You'll never have to get wet," she smiled at Connor, who nodded, still blushing. Ethan continued to laugh as Hayley walked back over to the computer.

"You can't swim," Ethan continued to laugh, and Connor shoved him.

"Whatever dude," Connor rolled his eyes.

"I can't either," he looked at Ari, who was smiling softly at him. "I never really went to the beach in Briarwood so I never felt the need to learn, and I only stayed in the shallows when I was at the beach in Blue Bay Harbour," Ethan's laughter stopped abruptly, and Connor smiled at her thankfully.

"You guys ready?" the Red Ranger looked to the others, and they nodded.

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" morphing into their suits, they jumped onto their new Raptor Cycles, and shot off to find Doctor Oliver.

1-2-3-4-5

Racing down towards the beach on their new bikes, the Dino Thunder Rangers were amazed at the speed they were travelling at. As Hayley told them, they reached the beach in under two minutes. They suddenly slowed to a stop, and looked around.

"Whoa, it just stopped," Ethan frowned as he looked down at the engine as the dull purr faded.

"What's up with that?" Connor questioned. They climbed off their bikes, looking around curiosuly.

"This must be where Hayley programmed the coordinates," Kira realised as the two male Rangers looked down at their bikes.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Ari pointed over to an Invisiportal as it appeared. "You think Doctor O is on the other side?" she asked, looking to the others again.

"Only one way to find out," Connor decided. "You guys ready?" he called to his team, who nodded. They returned to their bikes, but as soon as they climbed on their bikes again, Zeltrax, Elsa and their usual group of Tyrannodrones, and a new monster, appeared through the portal.

"Hey! No-one invited you to the party!" Connor yelled at them, frowning under his helmet.

"I'm crashing!" Elsa called back with a wide smirk. "And I brought a few friends. Is that rude?" she asked as she gestured to Zeltrax and the others around her.

"Extremely," Kira growled.

"Crashers aren't welcome here. If you don't leave now, we'll have to escort you back to your undoubtedly creepy island!" Ari called. Zeltrax scoffed, taking a step forwards as he raised his sword.

"You're not getting through that portal unless you're in chains," he promised.

"That's funny, I don't see any chains around here, do you guys?" Ari looked to the other three, who shook their heads.

"I vote we go for it!" Connor called.

"Yeah!" Ethan, Kira and Ari cheered, and they sped forwards on their Raptor Cycles. Elsa screeched out the order to attack, and the Tyrannodrones and Zeltrax raced to meet the four Rangers. They tested out their bikes, blasting lasers to take out several Tyrannodrones at once.

"This is one powerful beauty!" Ari cheered as she shot past a group and turned her bike around. Holding one hand out, she tossed a couple of energy balls at the last of the Tyrannodrones standing, and Ethan and Kira blasted the monster, hitting him repeatedly until he hit the ground. Connor took on Zeltrax and Elsa, and as he sped through water, Ari joined him, raising a shield that blocked Zeltrax's attack.

"What was that supposed to be?" Ari taunted. Zeltrax let out a low growl, regripping his sword, and ran at them. Connor then leapt off his bike, and with a powerful kick, sent Zeltrax flying. The four regrouped, and looked to the portal.

"Guys hurry! The portal's still open!" Ethan realised.

"We can do it!" Connor nodded. "Follow me!" he led the way towards the portal. They narrowly avoided Elsa's attack, cheering. "Punch it!" the Red Ranger called, and they called on their Hyper Drive, passing through the Invisiportal.

The four reappeared inside the fortress, and slowed to a stop, looking around. "Hayley! We're in!" Connor spoke as they climbed off their bikes.

"_Good. I'll recalibrate the bikes for your exit_," Hayley told them.

"Ok," Ethan nodded.

"_You have about five minutes_," Hayley told them.

"Now that's a time limit I can handle," Ari smiled confidently. They demorphed and hurried off to find the lab.

"This way!" Kira called as she led the way, being the only one who had been there before. "It should be this way, I think! At least we still have the element of-"

"Welcome," a large mutant stepped around the corner, wearing black robes as they skidded to a stop. "We've been expecting you," he told them as he walked towards them.

"Surprise," Kira gulped as they backed away.

"You remember me, I trust?" Mesogog asked almost mockingly.

"Like I could forget that face?" Kira questioned as the door behind them shut, trapping them.

"That's a face?" Ari asked, tilting her her as the others checked the door to see if they could open it.

"Obviously, you are in need of some discipline," Mesogog commented, raising his hands. As he fired strange energy from his now glowing forehead, Elsa, Zeltrax and their monster appeared through another Invisiportal, taking the hit. As they screamed in agony at the surprise attack, the four Rangers bolted. They ran through the lab, looking around, before they heard Doctor Oliver call out to them.

"Doctor O!" they ran over to him, and he smiled with relief.

"Good timing. Hit the red button on the panel!" he instructed as they freed him. Ethan ran over and hit the button, which closed the doors and shut out their pursuers. "Should have known you'd try and rescue me," he muttered as they gathered around the control panel.

"Is that your way of saying thank you?" Ethan frowned at him. "Cause if it is, it needs some work," the Blue Ranger told him, and Doctor Oliver gave a wry smile.

"I'll thank you for real when we get outta here," he told him, pressing another button. "We can use the main Invisiportal network," he told them, looking around as a portal appeared behind them. "Hayley gave you the Raptor Cycles right? This way!" he went to lead them away, but Ethan grabbed him quickly.

"We need to talk," he told the now frowning teacher.

"Go! I'll explain everything later!" he told them.

"We already know everything!" Connor's shout made Doctor Oliver freeze instantly.

"We found the video diary," Kira nodded.

"We know you're a Power Ranger. And that Ari has been one before," he glanced to the Gold Ranger, who shrugged.

"_Was_, Ethan. Not anymore," Doctor Oliver corrected the Blue Ranger. The doors were forced open, and Zeltrax ran in with a group of Kelzacks, followed by the monster, as well as Mesogog and Elsa.

"Ranger or not, you're mine now," Mesogog growled at them.

"I hate when he gets like this," Doctor Oliver sighed.

"We can take it from here, Doctor O," Connor decided, and their teacher moved off to the side. "Ready?" the Ranger called as he activated his morpher.

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed again, and started fighting again. Drawing her sword, Ari slashed across the Tyrannodrones around her, kicking them back. When one got too close, she raised a hand to block it, and was surprised when the shimmering energy that appeared glowed less brightly than usual, and shattered when the Tyrannodrone made contact. She managed to dodge it, and kick it back.

"Well, that's embarrassing," the Sun Ninja commented as she held up a hand to call on a ball of energy, only for it to splutter out almost immediately. "Definitely embarrassing," Ari blocked a punch and tossed another back with a kick. Zeltrax ran at her, and she gasped, before disappearing. Zeltrax hit the wall with his sword, and Ari reappeared near to Ethan, making him jump.

"Uh, how'd you do that?" he asked carefully.

"You saw the video, and I told you," Ari sighed, and kicked a Tyrannodrone away from him. "I have no clue how I do that," she told him.

"Doctor O!" Connor called as they finished the Tyrannodrones and found their mentor on the ground, fighting Mesogog.

"Head for the portal!" Doctor Oliver yelled back at them. "I gotta get something!" he told them.

"But-"

"Hurry!" he yelled, and they leapt through the portal, and climbed onto their bikes. A moment after, Doctor Oliver appeared through the portal behind them, holding a large crystal under his arm.

"Do you really need a souvenir?" Connor demanded as the portal reappeared in front of them.

"This one, we do need," Doctor Oliver confirmed. Elsa, Zeltrax and the monster appeared nearby, running after them with more Tyrannodrones. "Go, I'm right behind you!" he told them, and with a nod, they sped back through the portal, returning to the city.

"Where is he?" Connor asked as they slowed to a stop and looked around. Doctor Oliver reappeared moments later, still carrying the crystal, and Elsa and the others followed after. Zeltrax blasted him with blue energy, which Doctor Oliver blocked with the crystal. A bright light temporarily blinded everyone, before the shockwave sent everyone flying. When the light faded, Doctor Oliver was gone.

"No...no he can't be..." Ari barely managed to stay standing.

"This can't be happening!" Kira cried as she fell to her knees, staring at the spot where they had seen their teacher standing.

"Such negativity," Elsa smirked widely at them. "Haven't you learned that in our world, anything's possible?" she asked mockingly as Zeltrax let out a low rumble of a laugh.

"Even the destruction of the great Doctor Tommy Oliver," he added, and the Rangers looked to him as their anger grew.

"I heard my name," everyone froze as a voice spoke up. They were all amazed as Doctor Oliver reappeared, still standing between the two groups. "You missed me, didn't you Zeltrax?" he taunted.

"Yes!" the Rangers ran over to him, and what was in his fist started to glow.

"Hey, Doctor O, what's this?" Connor grabbed his wrist, and Doctor Oliver opened his hand to reveal a Black Dino Gem.

"A Black Dino Gem," Ethan breathed in awe.

"And it gave you the power of invisibility," Ari realised, unable to stop grinning.

"Looks like it," Doctor Oliver agreed with a smile.

"That Gem belongs to my master!" Elsa snarled at them, furious that not only had Doctor Oliver survived, but he had freed the Gem that Mesogog had failed to release.

"There are two things you guys gotta learn about Dino Gems," Doctor Oliver replied calmly. He was still grinning as he looked to the black-clad woman. "One, you can't choose them. They choose you," he told her as she glared suspiciously at him.

"What's the other?" she demanded. Doctor Oliver's smirk only grew, and he raised his arm to reveal a black morpher on his wrist.

"They go real well with Dino Morphers," he told her, and combined the still glowing Gem with his new morpher.

"Aren't you a little old, _Tommy_?" Elsa sneered, but the fear was visible in her eyes. Doctor Oliver just smirked back.

"I may be old, but I can still pull it off," he told her confidently. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" he morphed into a black suit with gold spikes down the sides and helmet. "Just like riding a bike," Doctor Oliver grinned under his helmet.

"One more makes no difference," Zeltrax growled. "Attack!" he barked. The Tyrannodrones and the monster ran at the five Rangers, followed by Elsa and Zeltrax. Connor took on Elsa as Zeltrax made a beeline for the newest Ranger, leaving Kira and Ethan to focus on the monster, while Ari fought off the Tyrannodrones.

"Plesio Swords!" she called on her swords and ducked under the Tyrannodrones as she moved around, slashing across them as they stumbled past after missing her.

"Borrowing this!" Connor grabbed one of her swords from her as he passed, using it to fight off Elsa as she swung her sword.

"Hey! That's rude!" Ari complained, and drew her blaster. She blasted the last of the Tyrannodrones, and joined Ethan and Kira as they blasted the monster, knocking him back.

"You guys ok?" Kira asked as Ari and Connor joined them, as Elsa fled the scene.

"Better than this guy," Connor gestured to the monster.

"That wouldn't be hard," Ari commented, taking her sword back and shooting Connor a small glare.

"Let's put them together!" Ethan called as Connor apologised to Ari.

"Z-Rex Blaster!" they combined their weapons together, and aimed the resulting cannon at the flower monster.

"Don't be a pollinator hater!" the monster yelled.

"Ready?"

"Fire!" they blasted the monster, and destroyed it. As Doctor Oliver chased off Zeltrax, dark clouds formed overhead and rain fell where the monster had fallen, reviving it.

"Oh yeah!" it cheered as it towered over them.

"No way!" Doctor Oliver groaned as the five regrouped. His morpher beeped as the monster laughed, and Doctor Oliver looked down quickly. "Hayley?" he answered hopefully.

"_Welcome back. I've got a little homecoming present for you_," Hayley spoke up, smiling widely from relief. "_I found it on the north side of the forest_," she told them, and a loud roar earned their attention. They looked up to see a massive Dino Zord ambling towards them. "_Meet the BrachioZord. Retrieving the Black Gem must have awakened him. Wait till you see what he has inside. I think you can handle it from here,_" Hayley told them, before the BrachioZord opened up in several places, revealing the other four Zords.

"Just what I was hoping for!" Ari cheered, and the four leapt into their Zords, combining them to create the Thundersaurus Megazord. The monster laughed loudly, spinning as they ran at him. He hit them with his tendrils repeatedly, before wrapping them around the Megazord.

"Feel the love!" with another cackle, he hit them with jolts of electricity. The four cried out, struggling to stay on their feet as the Megazord shuddered and shook wildly.

"We're getting rocked!" Connor complained loudly.

"We could use some reinforcements," Ethan groaned.

"Hayley? You got anymore surprises?" Kira asked into her morpher hopefully.

"Yeah, you don't happen to have any extra help inside the Brachiozord, do you?" Ari nodded as she put a hand to her helmet, trying to stop her vision from spinning.

"_Sure do. Try the Cephala Zord_," Hayley's voice spoke through their morphers. The BrachioZord opened once again, and a much smaller Zord jumped out, bouncing towards the Megazord, wearing boxing gloves as it chirped loudly.

"What's that?" Kira wondered as she looked down at the small Zord curiously.

"It's awesome!" Connor, Ethan and Ari all cheered as it punched the monster and floored it.

"The Cephala Zord can link up with your Megazord for even more power!" Doctor Oliver called up to them.

"Did you guys hear that?" Connor glanced to his friends, who nodded. "Let's do it! Ready!" Connor called on power that removed one of the arms from the Megazord, allowing the new Zord to attack. The monster ran at them again, unfazed by their new power.

"Cephala Power Punch!" with a few quick jabs, the Thundersaurus Megazord destroyed the monster, and the Rangers cheered as another victory was won.

1-2-3-4-5

"What a day," Ethan determined as the four sat in Hayley's Cyberspace, which had been closed for the day. "New bikes, new Zords..."

"New Ranger?" Connor finished for him, and looked over at Doctor Oliver, who was sitting opposite them. "Well, sort of new," he corrected himself, making their new team-mate laugh.

"So, just how'd you manage to have that morpher ready for yourself?" Ari asked curiously.

"Right after you guys became Rangers, I got an energy reading on the tracking system. I had a good idea that it was another Gem," Doctor Oliver explained, holding a milkshake in his hand. "So, I had Hayley build the morpher, just in case," he told them, holding up his arm, which now held the bracelet with the Black Dino Gem in it. Hayley walked over, smiling at them.

"And the day of my gig?" Kira wondered as Hayley sat on the arm of the sofa beside her.

"I was coming to tell you that the energy had moved, and we needed to investigate," Doctor Oliver told them.

"When you were nabbed by the goon patrol," Connor finished, nodding. "Brutal," he determined, and Doctor Oliver smiled softly.

"Yeah, but it all turned out ok," the teacher nodded, and got to his feet as he finished his milkshake. "Well, I better get going," he told them, and they all looked at him, confused.

"Going?" Hayley frowned at him. "Where are you going?" she questioned as Doctor Oliver walked around the sofa.

"Shopping," he answered with a grin. "I checked my closet, and there's a serious shortage of black in there," he told them, making them all laugh. "See ya!" he waved and headed off, and Ari let out a wide yawn.

"And with this adventure over, I'm going to go to bed," she told them, and got up.

"Hey, you still have to tell us everything," Kira leapt up and linked arms with the Ninja, who blinked several times at her.

"That's right," Ethan nodded as he got up. "You need to tell me all the cool things about Ninjas," the Blue Ranger spoke with excitement. Ari groaned.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" she whined as she started walking. The other three quickly followed her as Hayley smiled, watching them go.

"Nope, I wanna know about that disappearing trick you do," Connor grinned, and Ari let out another groan as the three older students laughed.

**At the rate I'm going, I should be finished writing this fic in about a week. Maybe a little longer due to this weekend being Mother's Day weekend which means lots of work. Fun times ahead.**

**Anyways, I hope you're all enjoying so far!**

**As for the reviewer who asked about Ari getting a pairing, that will be coming in the next instalment: Mystic Force: The Sun's Destiny!**

**Please review!**


	6. Only Helping Out

Chapter 6: Only Helping Out

The sun was only just rising over Reefside as Ari jogged through town, wearing a black and gold leather uniform that she always felt more comfortable training in. Her black hair was scraped back from her face, with a couple of strands falling loose, and her breath came in short pants as she turned a corner.

"Hey Ari!" she glanced over her shoulder as she was joined by Doctor Oliver.

"Doctor O? I didn't know you went for morning runs too," she smiled at him as they jogged down the street.

"Yeah, been doing it for years," Doctor Oliver nodded. "I was just going through the forest here, but I decided to get a change of scenery," he explained. The two jogged together for a while, silent as they focused on their breathing.

"How are you coping with being a Ranger again?" Ari asked after a while.

"It's strange," Doctor Oliver confessed as they crossed a road and continued moving. "But great. I missed it," he admitted, and Ari smiled softly.

"I know how you feel," she nodded. "Being a Ranger was such a big part of my life last year, and then it ended so abruptly, and I never really felt as if it was done," she told him, and Doctor Oliver nodded back, knowing exactly what she meant. They kept running, until Ari reached the turn that would lead her back to Kira's. "I'll see you later then Doctor O," she grinned, and jogged off as he said goodbye and headed off in another direction.

1-2-3-4-5

Humming to herself as she wrote something down in her notebook, Ari closed it over and pulled out her homework to check over it.

"So, what's this about hanging out with Doctor Oliver so early in the morning?" Ari looked up to see Cassidy and Devin standing on the opposite side of the table.

"What?" Ari scrunched her eyebrows together, tilting her head.

"Oh, don't play dumb, Devin saw you two running," Cassidy rolled her eyes, and Ari set her homework down on the table.

"I go for morning runs, and it turns out, so does he. We bumped into each other, and were running the same path," Ari shrugged lightly, smiling pleasantly at them.

"Not really hanging out," Kira commented from beside Ari, not looking up from her own homework as she looked bored. Ari nodded, still smiling at the pair.

"Ok...then why do you go for 'morning runs'?" Cassidy demanded, and Kira let out another heavy sigh.

"I don't really see why that's important Cassidy," the Yellow Ranger looked up and frowned at the wannabe reporter. "Loads of people do it, go bother them instead," Ari giggled as Cassidy looked insulted, before stalking off, snapping at Devin to follow her.

"Thanks Kira," Ari smiled to her friend, who just shrugged.

"It annoys me when she gets up in everyone's face about their personal lives," Kira told her, before Doctor Oliver walked in, and began the class.

1-2-3-4-5

"I still don't get why Sensei Sugiura insisted I go into the final year of high school," Ari was complaining as she sat at the counter in Hayley's Cyberspace, scribbling down answers to her homework.

"Could be because you're solving those problems easily," Hayley responded from the other side as she poured milkshake into a glass. She set it on the counter, and Ari thanked her as she looked up.

"That's because Cam made this stuff super easy to understand last year," she pointed out, and Trent glanced at her as he placed a couple of drinks onto a tray.

"So you've already done this stuff...when you were how old?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"15," Ari shrugged, and the dark haired boy stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" she tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

"Either you're a super genius, or that guy Cam is," he commented.

"I could be really arrogant and say 'that guy Cam' is, but who am I to deny the fact that Ari is smarter than she looks?" they all glanced around to a young man as he leaned on the counter.

"Ah!" Ari let out a squeal and nearly knocked the Samurai off his feet when she jumped at him to hug him. "What are you doing here? And what do you mean by 'smarter than she looks'?" she demanded as she released Cam from her death grip. He laughed at her, adjusting his glasses.

"Dad gave me some time off and suggested I visit. Everyone's been missing you, apparently," he commented lightly, and Ari pouted. "I myself was glad for the peace," Ari's pout intensified at his words, and Cam laughed again. "I see you haven't lost the ability to make me feel guilty," he commented, and Ari's smile returned as he put a hand on her head.

"She does that to everyone," Trent commented from the other side of the bar. He then frowned as he looked down at the drinks on the tray, trying to remember where they went.

"That table there," Ari gestured to a table in the corner, and Trent nodded, thanking her and walking off. Hayley glanced to her for a moment, before her eyes moved to Cam. "Hayley, this is Cam!" the two looked at each other in surprise. They'd been emailing each other for months about the technology that the Ninja Storm team used, but had never actually met.

"Nice to finally meet you Cam," Hayley smiled, shaking his hand.

"You too," Cam nodded, looking a little confused. "And you two know each other how...?" he glanced to Ari, who didn't respond, trying not to smile as she looked around the cybercafé instead of at her friend. "Oh...of course," he put a hand to his face.

"To be honest I'm quite amazed that you didn't catch on before," Ari hopped back onto her seat and sipped at her milkshake.

"Well for one thing, I've been a little busy teaching to check the news," Cam defended with a roll of his eyes. "Second, not many of the reports about a new team of Rangers here have made it on the news outside of Reefside," he told her. Ari just shrugged, still grinning.

"Hayley, can I get a lemonade?" she glanced to her left as Connor reached the counter. "Hey Ari," the Red Ranger grinned as he saw her. Cam frowned, recognising Connor.

"You get your homework finished Connor?" Ari teased, and laughed as he groaned. Hayley put the drink in front of him, and he paid her, looking miserable. "I'll take that as a no," she commented with a chuckle. "He's Eric McKnight's twin brother," Ari whispered to Cam, seeing his confused expression as he stared at Connor.

"I just can't grasp this maths stuff!" the jock complained as he took a gulp of his drink. Ari glanced down to her homework, which was finished.

"I can help if you want," her offer made him look up. Her smile dropped when he gave a small laugh.

"Dude, even Ethan's been struggling with this stuff, and he's like, super geek," Connor shook his head. "And no offence, you're two years younger than us, you'll probably get just as stuck as the rest of us, if not more," Ari's hand curled into a fist, and she grabbed her homework. Without a word, she slammed it down in front of Connor, who jumped, and she stormed off. "What did I say?" the Red Ranger looked around at Hayley with wide eyes. The genius red-head just rolled her eyes at him.

"Be grateful that I'm one of her lesser violent friends, or you'd probably be sporting a black eye right now," Cam's words made the soccer star frown and look at him. He opened his mouth to retort, but as Cam walked off, he found he couldn't speak.

"Why is he so familiar?" he asked Hayley, who once again rolled her eyes and walked off to serve another customer.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari!" Cam called after the Gold Ranger as she stormed down the street away from the café, her hands shoved into her pockets. "Ari, wait up!" the Samurai reached her and caught her arm.

"Cam, they know!" she whirled around, tears in her eyes. "They know about last year, they know I'm a Sun Ninja, and still they think I'm this helpless kid who doesn't know anything!" the tears spilled down Ari's face as her voice shook. "I went through that already, and when I first joined this team, I could understand it. But they know I'm not helpless, they know I'm not useless, and they still treat me like I am!" her face crumpled and Cam pulled her into a hug with a sigh.

"Give it time Ari. Just remember how Shane was," he told her gently as Ari tried to stop herself from crying. "You proved him wrong, remember?" Cam reminded her, and Ari nodded, but didn't lift her head. "How about you show me where the best place to get ice-cream is here then?" he smiled, and Ari lifted her head instantly, smiling at him.

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best Cam?" she asked him, and he rolled his eyes, but was smiling all the same.

"Once or twice. Let's go," he told her, and Ari let out a cheer, before her morpher beeped.

"Oh come _on_," she whined as she looked down at her wrist, pouting.

"Looks like ice-cream will have to wait," he told the pouting teen, who grumbled before opening the communication link between her and Doctor Oliver.

"Go for Ari," she responded, still pouting.

"_We've got trouble in town. The others are already on their way_," Doctor Oliver told her, and she sighed.

"I'll head there now too," Ari told him irritably, and ended the communication.

"You could stand to sound a little less grumpy," Cam told her, and Ari shrugged.

"I will after ice-cream. I'll meet you back at the Cyberspace!" she told him, and ran off to join the battle.

"Be careful!" he called after her, and Ari laughed.

"You sound like Sensei!" she teased, and ninja-streaked off to the battle.

1-2-3-4-5

By the time Ari reached the battle, the others were already there, morphed and fighting off the plant-like creature. When it went to attack Kira, Ari tossed a couple of energy-balls that slammed into it and knocked it to the side.

"Ari!" Kira looked over to her with a smile.

"Looks like you guys could use a little help," the Gold Ranger winked, putting a hand over her morpher so it revealed its true form. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" she morphed into her Gold suit and got ready to fight as the monster recovered.

"You're just in time," Ethan nodded as Ari summoned her twin swords and ran at the monster, slashing across its front as it recovered.

"Hey Ari-"

"Not the time Connor," she told him as he tried to speak to her, still not understanding how he had upset her. Kira frowned at the Red Ranger, immediately able to tell that he had done something, but when the monster recovered and attacked again, they were forced to concentrate on it instead.

"Ari I don't get it!" Connor called as he kicked the monster back. "All I said was that-"

"You think I'm not as smart as you guys!" Ari shouted at them, making the others stop.

"Wait, you said that she wasn't as smart as you?" Ethan burst out laughing, and was elbowed by Kira.

"I never said that!" Connor protested, shaking his head. "I just thought that you'd be as stuck as the rest of us since you're younger!" he defended as he fought the monster off again.

"Just because I'm younger doesn't mean I don't know anything!" Ari exclaimed, and Connor stopped as he realised why she was upset.

"Look, we can discuss this later, but right now we have a monster to defeat," Doctor Oliver looked over to them, and they nodded.

"Let's put them together!" the four students combined their weapons and aimed it at the monster, who let out a roar. "Z-REX BLASTER, FIRE!" they fired it, destroying the monster.

1-2-3-4-5

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best Cam?" Ari grinned as they walked into Hayley's Cyberspace, eating ice-cream.

"Once or twice," he nodded, finding this conversation quite familiar.

"Remind me to tell you more often," she told him as they walked up to the counter.

"If you insist," Cam's words made Ari laugh, and they took a seat.

"Hey Ari. Glad you're ok," Hayley smiled as she set down a milkshake in front of the Gold Ranger. "I have a request to make," the red-head told her as she set down one for Cam as well, who thanked her. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to work here. Just until the school year ends, whenever you can," Ari blinked in surprise at Hayley's request.

"Me? Why?" she tilted her head, her eyes wide.

"I could always do with some extra help, this place is getting pretty popular," Hayley told her, looking over to Trent as he passed out a few drinks. "You helped Trent out without even realising it," she pointed out. Ari's brow furrowed as she tried to think of it.

"Ari's intelligence is foreign even to her," Cam grinned as he finished his ice-cream. "She usually forgets, unless it can be used as blackmail," Ari went red as Hayley laughed.

"So what do you say? Do you want a job?" she asked the 16 year old, who thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Sounds like it'll be fun," she gave a bright smile, and Hayley grinned back.

"Hey, Ari?" Ari glanced around as Hayley's smile dropped. Connor shuffled his feet as he stood behind her. Ari's smile had faded as well as she looked at the Red Ranger. "Look, I'm really sorry about what I said. I never meant that because you're younger, you don't know anything," he told her, looking guilty.

"Connor, I've spent the last few years being looked down on because I'm younger than everyone else," Ari's voice was soft as she admitted this. "You don't know how that feels," she just looked at her hands as Hayley and Cam moved off to let them have their privacy.

"I know. I'm sorry. After everything, I really shouldn't have judged you like that," he told her, walking closer. "I mean, you're like the coolest person ever. You saved the world when you were _fifteen_, you're a ninja, and you're gonna be graduating high school at 16," Ari was blushing as Connor laughed. "I guess I'm not so smart, huh?" he offered a smile, and Ari looked away.

"Well..." she sighed, and his smile fell. "I guess it's a good thing I'm here till graduation. I'll make sure you graduate too," Ari looked back at him, winking. Connor laughed again, and this time Ari joined in.

"So we're cool?" he asked as he took a seat beside her.

"Buy me ice-cream and we will be," Ari grinned.

"You've had enough," Cam told her sternly as he sat back down. Ari pouted at him.

"You really are starting to sound like Sensei," she told him.

"Someone has to," Cam smirked back.

"Oh my gosh," they all looked around at a girl who was staring with wide eyes. She was pretty, and looked around 19 years old. Her long hair was a dark reddish colour, and stuck up in small curls that made it look almost as messy as Ari's. Her eyes were amber, and were filled with amazement. "You're her, Ari Raynes!" she exclaimed, rushing over.

"Uh...yeah?" Ari raised an eyebrow as the girl shook her hand.

"And you're Cam Watanabe! I can't believe you're both in Reefside! This is awesome!" the girl squeaked, looking nothing short of ecstatic.

"And you are...?" Cam asked as she shook his hand as well.

"Oh, where are my manners! I'm Melody. Melody Minami," she introduced herself with a wink. After a moment, they both realised why her surname was familiar.

"Wait...like the Sensei of the Flame Academy?" Ari gaped as she stared up at the girl.

"That's me. Well. My mother. I'm just about to graduate though," she told them, giggling as she gestured to herself. "So do you mind if I sit?" she asked, pointing to the empty seat beside Cam.

"Uh...go ahead," he nodded, unable to take his eyes off the bubbly girl. Ari glanced to him, and let out a giggle of her own. Things definitely weren't boring.

* * *

**So I planned on spending today writing and getting at least two chapters written...yeah that didn't happen. I ended up finally getting around to catching up on the Attack On Titan manga since I had only read up to around where the anime finished...**

**Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Please review!**


	7. Beneath The Surface

Chapter 7: Beneath The Surface

"Come on!" Ethan hissed as he hit the buttons on his laptop quickly and loudly. He sat at the table beside the other three teenage Rangers, who were attempting to do their homework. "Oh no you didn't! Eat laser, you intergalactic freak!" Connor, Kira and Ari exchanged irritated looks as not only was his hissing quickly turning into shouting, but the sound on his laptop was blaring.

"Dude, do you mind?" Connor finally spoke up.

"Made it to level 12!" Ethan cheered with joy, not registering that Connor was speaking to him.

"Hit the big button Connor," Ari spoke without looking up. Shaking his head, the Red Ranger reached over and hit it, and the screen went black instantly. Ethan's shouting instantly stopped, and his smile disappeared.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he demanded, looking around at them.

"I can't concentrate with you blowing up things in my ear," Connor told him, frustrated.

"But it took me three hours to get to that level," Ethan stared at his black screen.

"Sorry, but I'm with Connor on this," Kira shrugged apologetically. "We've got a paper due tomorrow. And why aren't you working on yours?" she asked, and Ethan looked around at her.

"Finished it last week. Trent, Ari and I jammed on them while you guys were being David Beckham and uh-"

"Oh don't even say it!" Kira glared at him, and Ari started to laugh. "Wait a second, you're done with your paper? What are you working on?" the Yellow Ranger looked around at Ari with a frown.

"Next week's paper," Ari grinned. Both Connor and Kira sighed heavily.

"Where is Trent anyway? I thought he was working today," Kira asked as she looked around, but saw no sign of their friend.

"Aw, does someone miss him?" Ari giggled, and yelped in pain when Kira's boot met her shin. "Mean!" she pouted, grabbing her things and moving over to Ethan's table.

"Hayley gave him the day off," Connor shrugged. "I think he's spending some quality time with his dad," he returned to his paper, and Ethan turned his computer back on.

"Boring..." Ari hummed to herself as she started writing again.

"What's boring?" she looked up as Cam walked over with Melody.

"Writing a million papers," she leaned back in her seat. "What have you two been up to?" she quirked an eyebrow at the pair. Cam had stuck around for a little while longer, discussing Ranger technology with Hayley, and Melody had become a friend of both his and Ari's.

"Since I'm heading back to Blue Bay Harbour tonight, she was showing me around town," Cam shrugged, and Ari looked down at her paper.

"Sounds fun. Too bad I'm stuck here working on this paper, I could'a joined ya," she shrugged, and Cam didn't like her smirk.

"But that's not due for another – ow!" Ethan cried out as Ari kicked him.

"This is for a different class, one you're not in," she told him lightly.

"Uhuh..." Cam didn't believe her for a second.

"Too bad, we had fun," Melody didn't seem to notice, smiling at the pair. "I didn't realise that Cam was the brains behind a lot of your stuff," she knew that the other three with Ari knew, but she didn't know that they themselves were Rangers.

"Oh yeah, Cam's the resident genius," Ari nodded as she looked up again.

"Ari is too, but that surprises even her," Cam smirked, and Melody giggled as Ari pouted at the Samurai. "Melody is pretty good with computers, we've been swapping ideas," he told the Gold Ranger.

"Really? Ow!" Ethan yelled as Ari kicked him again.

"Yeah, he was telling me all about the super computer. I need to see it," Melody was seemingly oblivious to the glare Ethan sent Ari's way for kicking him again.

"It is pretty awesome. I don't understand any of it, but I'm no computer whizz," Ari grinned.

"You could be," Cam told her, but Ari shrugged.

"Too boring. I'm happy enough with my skateboarding," she told him, looking down at her paper as they all went back to what they were doing.

1-2-3-4-5

Arriving at school the next morning, Kira and Ari took their seats,waiting for Doctor Oliver to arrive to tell them about the field trip that they were going on.

"I can tell that some people aren't too excited for this," Ari smirked to Kira, seeing Cassidy's scowl out of the corner of her eye.

"She's not the only one," Ari laughed at the Yellow Ranger, who was not keen to be up to her knees in dirt.

"I think it'll be fun," Ari shrugged at her. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Alright guys!" Doctor Oliver walked into the classroom as the bell rang. "There's only so much you can learn in the classroom! Who's ready for some fieldwork?" he looked around as they all grabbed their bags and left the classroom.

"Ari, you are freakishly upbeat about this. Don't girls hate dirt?" Connor spoke as he walked with her.

"With that logic, Ethan is more of a girl than me," Ari chuckled, looking over at the Blue Ranger, who looked just as reluctant to be going on the field-trip as Kira did. Connor laughed, and Ethan shot them both irritable glares. The class climbed onto the bus, and Ari fell into a seat by the window. Connor sat beside her, and Ethan and Kira took the seats in front of them.

"So are Melody and Cam like, dating now?" Kira asked as Ari dropped her backpack on the ground, which had her skateboard poking out of.

"Not yet," Ari giggled as she looked to the Yellow Ranger. "It's only a matter of time though. But I have a feeling it's gonna be Melody doing the asking out," she grinned, looking back out the window.

"Wouldn't surprise me-ow!" Connor grabbed his leg as Ari kicked him.

"Really dude? You think it's a good idea to insult Cam?" Ethan's smirk was wide as Kira tried to hide her laugh, before her eyes moved to Doctor O as he stepped onto the bus.

"Forget that, check that out!" she hissed, and the other three looked around as Randall walked on, talking away to the stressed looking teacher. She sat down beside him, and the Black Ranger turned to glare at the sniggering students.

"Now that is an interesting development," Ari peered over Connor's head as Doctor Oliver spoke awkwardly, adjusting his glasses.

"Not to mention gross," the Red Ranger nodded, and all of them slumped down in their seats when Randall looked around sharply, glaring at the four as they hid their sniggers.

"This is gonna be fun," Ari smirked as the bus started moving, taking them outside of Reefside.

1-2-3-4-5

Humming to herself as she brushed through the dirt, Ari looked for anything would be counted as prehistoric.

"How are you already covered in dirt?" Kira grumbled from beside her, and Ari looked at her clothes. Not only were her hands and arms filthy, but her clothes were covered in soil as well.

"It's a talent," she just shrugged, grinning to the singer.

"Hey guys!" Ethan caught their attention. "Over here!" exchanging looks, Ari and Kira walked over to him with Connor, who looked just as curious. "Check it out, I think I found something," he showed them his discovery as he brushed the dirt off it.

"Great, what is it?" Connor asked as they crouched beside it. When Ethan brushed the last of the dirt off it, they all paused. "Is that..." the jock breathed, his dark eyes wide.

"It's a Dino Egg," Ari looked up at them. "We gotta get Doctor O, without his shadow," she said, and Kira stood up.

"I'll get him," she told them, hurrying off to find their teacher. The three carefully began to dig the egg out of the soil, taking care not to damage it.

"What have you got?" Doctor Oliver called as he and Kira reached them. Finally pulling it free, the three stood up, and Ethan held out the egg.

"I think it might be a Dino Zord egg," he told the teacher. Doctor Oliver took it carefully, studying it curiously.

"Ohhh, a discovery, how exciting!" they all jumped and looked around as Randall approached. The five moved a little closer, trying to hide the egg from view.

"Uh, no, we're not sure what it is," Doctor Oliver told her quickly, holding it in his arm and moving his body so she couldn't see it.

"It looks like a prehistoric egg," Randall spoke, rolling her eyes. She then held out her hand impatiently. "May I?" she requested, and they all looked a bit wary. Doctor Oliver hesitated, but couldn't come up with a reason why she couldn't. "Don't worry, I won't drop it," she insisted, and with a small sigh, he handed it over. The Rangers watched silently, holding their breath. None of them spoke, knowing they'd be snapped at in response.

"I should really take that back to the school lab and examine it," After a moment, Doctor Oliver stepped forwards and held out his hand.

"But of course," shaking her head quickly, she passed it back. As he reached for it, the screams of the other students rang out and they looked around to find Tyrannodrones swarming the place. The students all ran for the safety of the bus, and Doctor Oliver nodded to Connor, and the four students ran to face the Tyrannodrones.

"They must be here for the egg!" Ari called to the others, and leapt off a wooden pathway. Her foot slammed into one of the monsters, and she landed easily, her already filthy boots squelching in the mud.

"Well they aren't getting it!" Connor called back.

"That's for sure," Kira nodded, flipping one of the Tyrannodrones. They fought off the monsters, keeping their attention on them instead of the fleeing students. Nearby, Doctor Oliver protected Randall, while also using her as a weapon to fight off the ones that attacked them. Before long, the monsters were defeated, running off. Randall retrieved the egg, throwing it to Doctor Oliver, and the last of the Tyrannodrones disappeared.

"Let's get to the bus before she can ask too many questions," Ari told the others, who nodded. They tried to rush past the Principal as she stood with Doctor Oliver, but she blocked their path quickly.

"Do you mind explaining to me where you learned to fight like that?!" she glared at the four.

"Uh, karate club," Connor spoke instantly, and with quick agreements, they ran off to the bus before she could stop them.

1-2-3-4-5

After school ended, the five Rangers gathered in Doctor Oliver's lab to try and figure out if the strange egg was a Dino Egg or not.

"Got anything?" Kira asked impatiently as they watched Ethan scan it. It had been cleaned up, unlike the mud covered students.

"I dunno...something's not right," Ethan shook his head, looking to his friends. "I can't detect any signs of life!" he exclaimed, confused.

"That's weird," Doctor Oliver frowned as he straightened up, looking at the four students. "I'm sure that's a Dimetrozord egg," he told them.

"Dimetrozord?" Ari tilted her head.

"It's developed from a Dimetrodon, it's really amazing," he looked back down at it as Ethan continued to scan it. They were all a little confused about the strange egg, able to tell that there was something not right about it.

"This is weird," as they tried to figure out what was wrong, Doctor Oliver went to his computer to scan the site where they had found it. "I'm still getting a heat signal from the dig site where we found the egg," he told them, making the four frown in confusion.

"But the egg's not even there any more," Kira didn't understand.

"Maybe there's another?" Ethan wondered as he set down the scanner.

"Or maybe this is a fake and the real one is still there?" they all looked at Ari as she spoke up. "What?" she frowned as they all stared at her.

"In any case, I better go check it out," Doctor Oliver decided. "You guys stay here and keep analysing this one," he told them. They nodded, and he headed out as Ethan returned to scanning the egg.

1-2-3-4-5

"Bored," Ari complained as she skated around the lab, her hands behind her back. It had been half an hour, and there had been no word from Doctor Oliver, nor any more information about the Dino egg that Ethan was still studying.

"You know that Doctor O won't like you skating here," Kira warned as she looked over. Ari just shrugged, and proceeded to fall off her board.

"I don't like me skating in here either," she groaned from the ground. Connor and Kira just laughed.

"Uh, guys?" Ethan looked around, and their laughter stopped. "I _really _don't think there's a Dino Zord in here," he told them as they gathered around again.

"I told you..." Ari grumbled as she rubbed her backside. The computer suddenly beeped, and they looked at the screen as a window opened to show footage of a Dino Zord stomping towards Reefside.

"Well, there's one," Connor shrugged.

"But how?" Kira wondered, looking from the screen to the others.

"Can't we..."

"Open it?" Ethan finished for their leader. He lifted the top of the machine holding the egg in place, and broke it open. Light shone out of it, before a hologram of Elsa appeared, smirking down at her.

"Not what you expected, Rangers?" she laughed mockingly up at them. With a cackle, the hologram shot into the air, and disappeared in a flash.

"Ok, can I just say, I am _so _over the evil-laugh thing?" Kira grumbled.

"You get used to it after a while," Ari sighed as she leaned forwards, looking at the remnants of the egg. "What I want to know, is how she managed to give us a fake egg and leave the real one out there?" she questioned, looking up at the others. Before they could speak, the computer beeped again, almost impatiently. The Dino Zord had reached the city. "Better get the Zords before that thing turns the city into rubble," the Gold Ranger suggested. They stepped away from the machines and stood together.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" their bracelets turned into their morphers as they held them up.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"Tyranno!"

"Ptera!"

"Tricera!"

"Plesio!"

The now morphed teens ran from Doctor Oliver's home and towards where the Dino Zord was attacking. They called on their own Zords, who fought it off with equal ferocity, but the Zord proved to be more powerful thanks to the saw on its back granted it the upper hand.

"This is brutal!" Ari groaned, barely able to watch as her golden Plesiozord flew towards the Dino Zord and proceeded to be slammed into the Pterazord.

"Come on Tyrannozord!" Connor yelled to his Red Zord, which was the last one standing at this point. It swung its spinning tail, but its opponent dodged and with a powerful bite, sent the Tyranno Zord to the ground as well. Without waiting for them to try and get up, it then dug under the ground and disappeared. "He's gone!" Connor groaned, before the ground started to shake.

"I hope that's not that Zord back already for another round," Ari gulped as they stumbled.

"Targets located!" they looked up to see a monster towering over them.

"Oh yeah, that's much better," Ethan spoke as they backed away.

"Now what do we do?" Connor bit his lip, knowing that their Zords were damaged from their fight, but they knew they had no choice. "Dino Zords!" he called, calling on them regardless. They leapt into them, and combined the four to create their Megazord. "Do it Kira!" he looked to the Yellow Ranger on his left.

"Pterarang!" she called, grabbing the wings from the front of their Megazord. They hurled it at the monster, but he deflected it each time it flew towards him. "Oh no!" Kira cried out as it left the monster unharmed.

"Tricera Fist!" Ethan tried next, but before they could get close, the monster spun and knocked them back with his tail.

"Plesio Fins!" Ari spun the Megazord so the fins that provided the blades on the sides could hit the monster, but he blocked with his own blades and raked on across the front of the Megazord, making them all cry out. The Megazord staggered back as they were thrown about the cockpit.

"_I don't think the ThunderZord is powerful enough_," Doctor Oliver's voice echoed from their morphers. After battling Zeltrax, he had returned to their base to find them fighting the monster. "_You need something that can break through his armour_," he told them, deep in thought.

"Like what?" Connor growled.

"Like a saw maybe?" Ari suggested, and the other three looked at her quickly.

"_Ari's right! You gotta use the Dimetrozord_!" Doctor Oliver exclaimed.

"The what?" Connor frowned, sounding more confused than irritated now.

"I imagine it would be the Dino Zord we were just fighting," Ari pointed out, shaking her head.

"That thing? In case you guys didn't notice, he's not exactly playing well with others!" the Red Ranger pointed out. The Dino Zord had easily taken down their own.

"_Let me see if I can do something about that_," Doctor Oliver told them, before going silent.

"He better hurry!" Kira yelled as pink lightning shot through the air, and the Dimetrozord reappeared. It floored their Megazord with one blow, and it hung back as the monster laughed and approached, slamming its foot into the Megazord before they could force it up.

"Come on Doc!" Ari yelled as another blow nearly threw them out. Golden light surrounded her, and the same around the Dimetrozord, shattering Elsa's control over it.

"_I dunno how you did it Ari, but the Dimetrozord is on our side now_!" Doctor Oliver called, now in control of the powerful Zord. With a roar, it leapt through the air and attacked the monster repeatedly. The monster fell to the ground with a cry, freeing the Megazord so they could get up.

"That power of yours is really handy," Ethan laughed.

"Tell me about it. Now if I could only control it," Ari grinned. "Now let's see what this thing can do!" she cheered. The arm that was made up of the Tyrannozord's tail moved, allowing the new Zord to attack. The saw began to spin, and they ran at the monster as it recovered. They broke through his blade easily as he attacked, and the monster cried out in horror.

"Oh yeah!" Connor cheered.

"I love it!" Kira laughed as they broke through his other sword.

"Now I'm really mad!" the monster yelled furiously.

"Oh, you want some more?" Ethan asked innocently, tilting his head. This time they hit the monster with their saw, and blasted him with fire.

"Dimetro Blade!" Connor yelled as the monster fell backwards. "Full power!" the saw spun as they swung in several directions, and destroyed the monster easily.

1-2-3-4-5

Yawning widely as they sat in the classroom the next morning, Ari slumped over the desk beside Connor as they waited for the rest of the class to arrive.

"You could stand to look a little more eager to learn Ari," Doctor Oliver commented as he walked in and took a seat at his desk.

"I will when I stop hurting. I think my bruises have bruises," she complained.

"Is that from the battle? Or from falling off your board in Doctor O's lab yesterday?" Connor smirked, and Ari's eyes widened as Doctor Oliver scowled.

"This is Cassidy Cornell with a special report," the TV flickered on as Cassidy presented her morning show, diverting the teacher's attention away from Ari. The Gold Ranger slapped Connor's arm, and he laughed to himself as Ethan and Kira sniggered as well. "I have discovered that we have a superhero working right here at Reefside High," they all froze as they stared at the TV. Doctor Oliver sighed heavily, fearing he was caught out. "Yes, our very own Principal Randall fended off several prehistoric creatures in an act of selfless bravery," Cassidy announced.

"Was that between screaming in terror and Doctor O using her as a makeshift weapon?" Ari whispered as a few more students walked in. Kira covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

"I was on the scene to bring you the exclusive footage," Cassidy continued as everyone watched the TV. "Let's roll tape," she announced, and a video appeared on screen, but not of the fight. Instead, it was a loop of Cassidy pulling a flower from the ground and ripping its petals off. The other students burst out laughing as Cassidy appeared again, looking alarmed. "Uh, we seem to be having technical difficulties, please stand by," the feed ended as the students watching all laughed loudly.

"Looks like Doctor O is safe for another day," Ethan laughed quietly as the four looked over to their teacher.

"We'll discuss your skateboarding later, won't we Ari?" he raised an eyebrow at the 16 year old, whose laughter was replaced by groans, and her head hit the table.

1-2-3-4-5

As their class ended, the Rangers walked through the corridor to their next class, with Connor complaining about how much he hated maths.

"I just don't get why we need to learn this stuff," he told them as he played with the ball in his hands.

"Me neither," Kira agreed.

"It's boring is what it is," Ari nodded. "I'd rather be out practising some moves for the next competition. It's in like 2 weeks, I need to be ready," she glanced to the skateboard that stuck out of her bag.

"And I have a match in a few days," Connor complained, wanting to be out on the pitch.

"What's so bad? It's just maths. The sooner we get out, the sooner you guys can go do your physical activity, and I can get back to my game, since the last time I was rudely interrupted," Ethan shot Connor a glare.

"Well maybe you can keep the sound down this time?" the Red Ranger challenged, but before Ethan could say anything, Kira shushed them and stopped them from walking around the corner and down the stairs.

"Look!" she hissed, and they all peeked around to see Doctor Oliver talking to Principal Randall. She seemed surprised, and dazed for a moment as the bell rang.

"That's the bell, Doctor Oliver," she snapped at him suddenly. "Your next class isn't going to teach itself," she told him coldly as he frowned. She stormed off down the stairs, and Doctor Oliver looked a little confused.

"Man, that woman is cold blooded," Ethan laughed as they walked down the stairs, making Doctor Oliver jump and look around. He rolled his eyes as he saw their smirks.

"Yeah, but remember, Doctor O's got a thing for dinosaurs," Connor laughed, flipping the ball in his hands as they all walked down the stairs.

"Don't even start with me Connor," their teacher warned, making him laugh.

"I think it's a perfect match," Kira spoke up, smiling innocently.

"Well we know who'd wear the trousers in that relationship," Ari giggled, and Doctor Oliver scowled at them.

"Aren't you guys late for your next class?" he sighed as they continued to follow him.

"Yeah, we were kinda hoping you could write us a note or something?" Connor grinned to him.

"Yeah, I could use a day off from running around the gym, my legs are killing from yesterday," Ari nodded hopefully. Their teacher rolled his eyes at them.

"Dream on!" he told them, and they laughed as they continued down the corridor, continuing to tease the science teacher.

* * *

**So I've gotten slightly re-obsessed with Attack on Titan...which has actually proved to be good cause the soundtrack is seriously motivating. Plus, I'm not actually working tomorrow so I should be able to get plenty written.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	8. White Thunder Part 1

Chapter 8: White Thunder Part 1

Letting out a wide yawn as she opened the back door, Hayley pondered her choice to open a cyber-café so early in the morning. She also questioned her choice to stay up half the night working on new technology for the Rangers.

"Hey Hayley," Ari greeted as she jogged up to the red-haired genius, who glanced around at her.

"Hi Ari, you're early," she commented to the smiling Ranger. "You're not supposed to be here for another hour," she said, looking to her watch.

"Yeah, finished training earlier than I thought I would," Ari shrugged, following her inside. "So I figured I'd come in and help open up," she explained.

"You're probably the only teenager who wouldn't want to crawl back into bed for another hour. Even I want to right now," Hayley yawned again, and Ari giggled. They both jumped as they heard a noise from the other side of the bar, and Hayley grabbed the closest item to her as a makeshift weapon. When she realised she was holding a jar of jelly beans, she sighed and set it down as Ari covered her mouth to conceal her smirk.

"Stay here," she whispered to the genius, who nodded and watched as Ari moved silently along the bar, towards where a light had been switched on. Taking a slow breath, Ari jumped out, ready to fight, and startled Trent into falling off his seat with an alarmed cry. "So much for me being the only one willingly awake at this time..." she frowned, approaching Trent as Hayley frowned.

"Ari?" Trent looked up at her as she offered him her hand. "Hayley? What are you doing here?" Trent asked as he was pulled to his feet.

"Well I work here, and she owns the place," Ari commented with a smile. "And your reason for being here?" she asked, before noticing the sketchpad.

"Wow...this is..." Hayley noticed as well. "You did this?" she asked Trent as she stood in front of the picture of a space monkey.

"Yeah," Trent nodded with a smile. Hayley flicked through the pictures.

"This is really good," Hayley told him. Trent's smile grew, and he thanked her, before she let the pages fall back into place. "So, here's the only question I have," she turned away, walking back to the bar.

"What am I doing here at 7 in the morning, instead of at home?" Trent guessed.

"It's a valid question," Ari chuckled as she helped him lifted the stools down from the counter.

"I came here to draw," he explained, his smile fading a little bit. "My dad's not exactly supportive of my artistic endeavours," Trent told them as Hayley turned on the lights, illuminating the dark café.

"How do you know?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well I think his exact words were, 'Trent, I am in no way supportive of your artistic endeavours'," he repeated what his father had told him.

"I know that feeling," Ari lifted the last of the stools down around the counter, and moved over to the chairs around the tables.

"He doesn't think it'll get me anywhere," Trent shrugged.

"He'll come around," Hayley told him with a smile.

"My dad's a great guy, but there are some things he won't budge on," Trent told her, not believing her. "This is one of them," he shook his head as he helped Ari lift the rest of the chairs down.

"You know what you do then?" Ari asked seriously, leaning on one of the tables. When Trent gave her a questioning look, she grinned. "Get even more awesome at it, and do something awesome with it! That way, he'll have no choice but to succeed," she told him brightly. Trent laughed at how simple she made it sound.

"Is that what you're doing?" he asked, still laughing.

"Why do you think I'm so good at skateboarding?" Ari grinned, making him laugh even more. Hayley smiled at the pair as Ari tried to cheer Trent up while they continued to set the place up for the day.

1-2-3-4-5

After being called by Doctor Oliver and rushing out of Hayley's Cyberspace with a rushed apology to her boss, Ari had joined Connor, Kira and Ethan, and made their way to the Petrified Forest, where their teacher was already waiting for them.

"We came as soon as we could Doctor O, what did you find?" Ethan called as they reached the Black Ranger, who was scanning a large pile of rubble.

"Some sort of storage unit," he told them as he finished scanning. "The energy readings are so intense, this meter can't register them," he told them as he shut it off.

"What kind of energy?" Connor asked curiously.

"The same kind that's in your morphers," Doctor Oliver finally turned to them, looking grave.

"You're saying there's a Dino Gem in here?" Kira asked, looking shocked.

"Not any more," Doctor Oliver shook his head, and they could see his worry. "But there was."

"That's bad," Ari looked around at the thick layer of trees behind them. "We're not that far from the Celestial Academy. This place is right on their borders," she scanned the trees carefully.

"I thought you had all kinds of things that would pick up if there was a Gem out here," Kira didn't understand why they were only finding it now.

"Someone must've hidden it. When the cloaking device deactivated, the readings went off the scale," Doctor Oliver explained.

"So is this good news, or bad news?" Connor asked slowly.

"I guess it depends on who's got the Gem," Doctor Oliver shrugged. They were all quiet for a moment, before he looked over at Ari. "Ari, could someone in the Celestial Academy have it?" he asked her. The Gold Ranger thought about it for a moment, before shrugging.

"I dunno. New students don't normally come out this far, and even some of the older ones don't either. I've never been here. I can contact Zoe and ask her if anyone in her family has?" she suggested. Doctor Oliver nodded, looking concerned.

"It's the only way we're going to be able to find out what's going on," he told her. Ari pulled out her phone, but before she could find Zoe's number, she heard a snap behind her. They all spun around, and found nobody there. "Who's there?" Doctor Oliver called, only for several blurs to shoot out from the trees and hit them. They knocked the five to the ground, standing over them.

"What are you doing here? And what is with this dark energy?" one demanded as they groaned.

"What?" Kira asked, pushing herself to her feet. "We have nothing to do with that, we're trying to find out what happened here," she told them quickly. Ari pushed her face from the dirt and looked up, her eyes widening at the sight in front of them. Five Ninjas, all bearing the symbol of the Moon Ninja, stood facing them.

"A likely story!" one of the others scoffed.

"It's the truth Noel," the five started, and everyone looked at Ari as she stood up. "We're just here to find out about the energy reading here," she told them, resting a hand on her hip.

"Ari?" Noel blinked several times as they finally seemed to realise who she was.

"You know these guys?" Connor asked warily, not sure if he should prepare to fight or not.

"Ari!" before she could answer, she was engulfed in a massive hug from all five. They began to bombard her with questions, and she laughed.

"You could say I know them. They're Zoe's brothers," Ari told her friends as the five released her.

"Anyone else confused?" Kira asked, looking to the other three, who shrugged.

"What's going on here guys?" Ari asked as she looked to the five siblings, who all shared resemblances with Zoe.

"We have no idea," the second oldest, Grayson, shrugged. "Dad told us that there was strange energy around here, and pretty much everyone heard the explosion," he explained.

"And we got sent to check it out since the golden child is off with her boyfriend," Derek, the oldest, rolled his eyes.

"Not golden, silver," Mitchell, the youngest of the group, chuckled, and Ari laughed. "Why are you here anyway? And who are these guys?" his eyes darted to the others.

"Like I said, we were here checking out the energy reading around here," she told him evasively.

"We better get back so I can track the energy," Doctor Oliver muttered to her.

"And we better go. I have a favour to ask. Don't tell Sensei or Zoe I was here?" Ari requested with a hopeful smile.

"What, but dad..." Jay, Noel's twin brother, hesitated as she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"We have to tell him," Derek groaned as he saw his brothers all hesitating.

"How about this?" Ari walked over to him, and smirked at him as she leaned close. "You don't tell them you saw me, and I don't tell your parents that Joe knows about the Academy because you told him?" she suggested, and his blue eyes widened.

"How do you – Raynes, oh I should have known," Derek slapped a hand to his face as he realised who his best friend was.

"What?" the other four brothers frowned at him, not understanding.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way back to the Academy," he sighed. The Ninjas called out goodbyes, and headed back as Ari laughed.

"That was so cool. Real ninjas," Ethan grinned as they too started heading back to town.

"You hang out with a real ninja every day," Kira raised an eyebrow at him.

"Two technically," they looked around at Doctor Oliver quickly, but he didn't speak as they all began to bombard him questions about his Ranger past.

1-2-3-4-5

Waiting for Hayley and Doctor Oliver to figure out what was going on with the energy-reading and the missing Dino Gem, Connor and Ari tossed a ball between them while Ethan played on his computer and Kira scribbled down in a notebook.

"I wonder who could have this Dino Gem," Connor spoke up as he reached up a little to catch his red ball.

"Derek said something about dark energy. I really hope he got that wrong," Ari caught the ball again and bounced it from one hand to the other. "But just who could have hidden it out there for so long?" she wondered, tossing it to Connor again.

"And why?" Connor caught it easily and threw it straight back. As Ari caught it, the computer beeped, earning their attention.

"Uh, Tommy? I think we may have something," Hayley called over her shoulder. Doctor Oliver ran over and looked at the screen, which showed a sunflower monster wandering through town.

"Unbelievable," he growled.

"Just what we needed to deal with today," Ari sighed.

"Any particular reason for that guy?" Kira asked, looking at the Doctor.

"It's hard to tell," he shook his head, frowning. "It seems like he's actually looking for something," he commented, watching as the monster continued wandering through the city, not destroying anything or chasing civilians.

"Well it's not gonna like what it finds," Connor growled. "Come on guys," he looked to the other three, who nodded.

"Let's do it," Kira called as they leapt down from the steps and stood together.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" their morphers revealed themselves.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"DINO POWER!"

Morphed and ready to fight, the Rangers returned to the city, finding the monster as it continued to look for something.

"Where are you?" he wondered, and looked around as the four landed behind him.

"Hey! Over here!" Connor called as he jumped. "Is there something we can help you with?" the Red Ranger asked.

"Red...Blue...Yellow...Gold...no," the monster shook his head. "I'm looking for something in basic white," he told them, not seeming to be interested in them.

"Do you have any clue what he's talking about?" Kira turned to the others.

"None," Connor shook his head.

"Let's hope that new Dino Gem wasn't white..." Ari muttered, and as they ran at him, he blasted them back. They managed to stay on their feet, but before they could recover and attack again, a white blur shot past.

"What's going on?" the monster cried out.

"What's that?" Connor demanded as they watched the blur attack the monster with speed Ari had only seen Ninjas demonstrate.

"I dunno," Kira shrugged as they watched. The monster was destroyed, and the blur shot off before they could stop it.

"Ari!" Connor looked to Ari, who nodded and followed, ninja-streaking after it. She raced after the white blur, who was slightly slower than she was. Finally, they reached a plaza, and the white blur stopped. Ari slowed to a stop, and stared at the White Ranger that now stood in front of her. His white suit had black stripes, and a red visor.

"So, you're the 'basic white' that monster was looking for," Ari commented, her hands behind her back. "Thanks for taking that guy out. A little help is always appreciated," she told him brightly, but she was still a little wary, thinking of what Derek had said. "So who are you? How'd you get that Gem?" she asked.

"Stay back," he finally spoke, his voice deep. "I wasn't doing it to help you. I was doing it because I thought he might provide me with a good battle. I was wrong," the White Ranger told her coldly. "I have no interest in helping you do-gooders," he growled.

"Oh, ok," Ari wasn't sure what to say or do. He didn't seem to be interested in fighting her, nor was he on Mesogg's side, judging from how he took down the monster. "So now what?" she asked him.

"I don't know. You followed me, after all. And I imagine you'll do it again?" he challenged, and Ari took a step backwards, hearing the threat in his voice.

"I...uh..." she felt the same level of intimidation that she felt when Hunter and Blake had first appeared.

"Whoa, who is that?" the other three reached them, and stopped beside Ari.

"And how come he gets the cool helmet?" Ethan complained.

"This guy a friend of yours Doctor O?" Connor asked as he contacted their teacher.

"_Never seen him before_," the Black Ranger's voice was careful. He was just as wary of the new Ranger.

"Ok!" Connor nodded, and ran towards him.

"Don't come any closer!" the White Ranger barked at him. Connor stopped, surprised. "You'll force me to do something I don't want to do," he warned him.

"What do you mean by that?" Connor didn't like how threatening the White Ranger was.

"Let me show you," the White Ranger drew his dagger, which looked like a feather. "White Drago Sword!" he waved it through the air, and arrows appeared in front of him. "Laser arrows!" the arrows flipped in the air and pointed at the Rangers. "Fire!" he called, and they shot at the Rangers, blasting them.

"Was that really necessary?!" Connor yelled as the four hit the ground hard, stinging from the painful blows.

"That was just a warning," the White Ranger replied, and swung his dagger down. He disappeared in a flash of white, leaving the four Rangers confused.

1-2-3-4-5

After the White Ranger had disappeared, the four teenagers hurried back to Doctor Oliver's lab. Hayley and Doctor Oliver stood at the computer, looking frustrated.

"Hey!" Ethan greeted as they jumped up to join them.

"How's it going?" Kira asked, carrying her helmet under her arm. Before they could answer, the alarm connected to the computer blared again, and they found that the White Ranger had reappeared.

"Oh great, he's back," Ethan sighed heavily.

"Already?" Ari whined, still hurting from his last attack.

"And looking for more trouble no doubt," Kira growled.

"You guys better get over there," Doctor Oliver told them, looking worried. "Make sure he doesn't go medieval on any civilians," they nodded.

"Good thinking," Connor agreed.

"Let's go!" Ethan called, and they put their helmets back on and hurried back out to face the White Ranger again.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey, back so soon?" Connor called as they reached the White Ranger, who had his back to them. "I thought you made your point the last time," he growled. They fell into fighting stances, ready to fight.

"I've only just started," the White Ranger turned around as he spoke. "You want some more?" he challenged. Irritated with his attitude, the four ran at him. "Fools," he scoffed, and easily threw them about, catching them with his dagger, as well as powerful punches and kicks.

When they got back to their feet, he laughed. "Come on!" he called, and sent more arrows flying towards them. Ari intercepted with her shield, but each arrow chipped away a little of the shimmering light between them and the White Ranger. "Not good enough!" he called, sending another wave of arrows towards them that shattered Ari's shield and slammed into all of them. They flew through the air, before landing heavily on the ground. "Weaklings," the White Ranger scoffed, disgusted with how easily he was overwhelming them. He laughed as they got to their feet, and moved at a much faster speed, cutting a cross across their chests. "That's gotta hurt," he commented as he landed a few metres away, and their suits exploded from the attack. "Too easy," the White Ranger turned his back on them.

"Alright, what's the deal?!" Connor demanded, managing to push himself back to his feet despite being in a lot of pain. "We tried to be nice, just extending a little Ranger love, and this is what we get?" he yelled furiously at the much more powerful Ranger.

"I'm not here to make friends," the White Ranger replied, finding his words amusing.

"Then what is it? What do you want?" Connor asked as the other three attempted to get up.

"That isn't something you need to know," the White Ranger shook his head. "All that's important right now is that there are four Rangers too many. And I'm here to change that," he told them.

"Go for it!" Connor issued the challenge, and they all raced to face each other again. The new Ranger easily overpowered them, laughing.

"That should do it," the White Ranger laughed as he knocked Ethan to the ground.

"Not even close!" Ari yelled as they regrouped, helping Ethan to his feet. He, Kira and Ari drew their blasters, but the White Ranger was much faster, blasting them again and forcing them to the ground again.

"No!" Connor rushed to his friends sides. "You guys," they groaned, trying to get back to their feet.

"Alright!" fed up with their opponent, Ethan pushed himself up, aiming his blaster at the White Ranger. "Party time is over!" he told the amused White Ranger

"Wait! Don't!" Doctor Oliver's cry stopped the Blue Ranger. They looked around as he ran over, already morphed, and tried to pull it from his grasp.

"What's the matter?" Ethan demanded furiously, lowering his blaster.

"We don't know what he's capable of," Doctor Oliver explained as he looked over at the White Ranger, who had let out a small laugh. "He's got powers we might not be able to deal with," he warned them, and released Ethan to turn to their opponent. "We don't want to hurt you. Tell us why you're here," he asked carefully as the White Ranger bounced his dagger lightly off his shoulder.

"Why am I here?" he turned away as if he was thinking this through. "Let me see..." he mused for a moment. "To defeat you?" he suggested.

"That does it!" Ethan had had enough, and he and Kira rushed at him again with their weapons.

"Wait! No!" Doctor Oliver cried out, but it was too late. He blocked their attacks and slashed across their fronts several times, tossing them over the side of the balcony, down to a lower level. Doctor Oliver ran to help the pair, and Ari helped Connor up.

"We need to help," Connor told her, and they ran to help as Doctor Oliver demorphed. They tackled the White Ranger away from their fallen teacher. "You're messing with the wrong dude," he warned as they struggled with the White Ranger.

"Just stop this already, it's pointless!" Ari pleaded with him, but he just laughed, and struck them down as well. They slammed into a wall, and demorphed.

"You were saying?" the White Ranger mocked as Doctor Oliver, Kira and Ethan hurried over and helped them up.

"You alright?" Doctor Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Connor nodded.

"I haven't decided yet," Ari groaned, a hand around her stomach.

"You've been warned, Power Rangers! Stay out of my way, or be destroyed!" the White Ranger warned, having had enough of them. He then raced off, disappearing.

"Guys, we've got big trouble," Doctor Oliver spoke softly.

1-2-3-4-5

The five Rangers sat in Doctor Oliver's lab, nursing their injuries. They were all covered in dirt, as well as cuts and bruises. Hayley sat behind them, watching them silently, with worry in her eyes.

"It wasn't supposed to go this way...was it?" Ethan spoke up, looking at the science teacher.

"An evil White Ranger? No," Doctor Oliver shook his head, sitting on the ground with them. "Of course, it's been known to happen," he shrugged. Ari nodded, having faced two evil Rangers before. And this one was no less dangerous than Hunter and Blake had been.

"So, what do we do?" Kira asked.

"How are we supposed to fight him, if we can't get near him?" Connor asked. Doctor Oliver was silent for a moment, before getting to his feet.

"We figure out who this is, and what he wants," he turned to face them again. "Before it's too late," they nodded, hoping that they would be able to.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	9. White Thunder Part 2

Chapter 9: White Thunder Part 2

Ari skated into Hayley's Cyberspace, unclipping her helmet and pulling it off as she stepped off her board.

"Hey Ari," the red-haired genius greeted from behind the counter. "Oh wow, did you get any sleep last night?" her smile dropped as she saw how exhausted the Gold Ranger looked.

"Not much. Too busy thinking about you know who," Ari shrugged, and let out a wide yawn as if to confirm this. She was still covered in bruises, and while she hid a lot under her gold t shirt and open black hoody, many could be seen on her lower legs, and there was a faint one across her cheek as well.

"Hopefully he won't show up for a while. We could all use the break," Hayley spoke softly. It had only been a day since the White Ranger had showed up, and they were all worried about him showing himself again.

"Isn't Trent supposed to be working now too?" Ari decided to change the subject and take her mind off the White Ranger. Hayley frowned, her concern growing.

"Yeah..." she looked at her watch. "He's never late," she and Ari exchanged confused looks, before Ari began working, wondering just what could have made Trent late. She thought about what she had said about working hard with his artwork, and hoped she hadn't gotten him in more trouble with his father.

"Hey..." she jumped, snapping out of her thoughts, and looked around at Trent as he smiled weakly at her.

"Trent? Are you ok?" Ari stared at the sickly-looking teen. "Stupid question," she realised after a moment, setting down the tray on the counter.

"I'm fine. Just didn't sleep very well," he shrugged as Ari watched him with concern.

"Are you sure you should be here? I can cover for you, I don't mind," she offered, and he gave a small smile before shaking his head.

"Thanks Ari, but there's too much to be done here," he told her, and looked around. "Besides, it's pretty busy, you could probably do with some help," he commented, seeing how busy the café was.

"Ok...but don't push yourself," she warned him, and he gave a small laugh.

"I won't. Thanks," he moved off to start working, and Ari watched him for a moment before sighing and grabbing her tray again as that was added to her list of worries.

"Yikes, Trent is not looking good," Ethan commented as Ari handed him and Kira their drinks.

"I hope he's ok," Kira watched Trent as he stumbled, just about keeping on his feet. He smashed a couple of glasses, and Hayley walked over to help him. Their morphers beeped suddenly, and all three looked down and groaned.

"Oh, please don't tell me he's back," Kira gulped. "I still have gravel out of my hair from the last time!" she exclaimed.

"Well there's only one way to find out," Ethan told her as they stood up.

"Guys, I'm gonna stay here for a bit," they looked around at Ari as she hesitated. "I can't really leave Hayley and Trent to deal with this. Call me if you need me," she told them, and they hurried off.

"Is there a problem?" Hayley asked as she walked over.

"I hope not. Though I may have to disappear," Ari warned her, and Hayley looked over to Trent as he continued to work. They exchanged worried looks, before continuing to work.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari set down a tray of milkshakes on a table, smiling at the customers when they thanked her. She walked back over to the counter, setting down the tray again, wondering how her friends were doing. They had contacted her to tell her of two new Dino Eggs that had shown up.

"Is everything ok with the others?" Hayley asked as she set down another bottle.

"For now. I've got a bad feeling though," Ari commented, before looking around as she heard someone cry out. Trent had stumbled again, and as he began to fall forwards, Ari rushed over, catching the tray and stopping the glasses from falling with one hand. With the other hand, she caught Trent, but she stumbled, unable to support his weight and continue to balance the heavy tray. As she thought that she was about to go down with the boy, the tray was lifted from her hand and another set of hands helped to support Trent.

"Sorry Ari..." Trent mumbled as he looked at the girl weakly.

"Hayley?" without answering him, Ari looked over to their boss. "Trent's going home, that's cool yeah?" she asked.

"What? No, I can still-"

"Sorry Trent, but I'm gonna have to pull rank. Go home and get some rest. I can't afford you breaking any more glasses today," Hayley told him as she walked over. Trent sighed.

"You're probably right. Sorry guys," he apologised to them, and they both smiled.

"Don't worry about it. Call me later to let me know you're alright," Hayley told him, and he shuffled towards the exit, nodding at them. Ari then turned to thank whoever had helped her and take back the tray, and her eyes widened as she found herself looking at four familiar faces.

"I thought she'd never actually look at us," Chip commented to Vida, who laughed with her sister.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ari asked, taking the tray from Xander.

"Visiting you, duh," he pointed out, and she grinned at her best friend. "Since you never bother coming back to Briarwood, we figured we'd see what's happening here," Xander told her, but his eyes were now on a group of girls walking past. She rolled her eyes, slapping his arm and making him laugh.

"Whoa, have you actually been sleeping? You look terrible!" Vida exclaimed as she peered at Ari's tired features.

"Nice to see you too V," Ari rolled her eyes and turned away so they wouldn't see the faint bruise. She walked over to the counter, and set the tray down. "So, you guys missed me then?" she turned a smirk on them, and moved behind the counter.

"Miss is a strong word..." Xander shrugged, and Ari pouted.

"But I'd say it's about right," Maddie smiled, and Ari smiled back at the shy film-maker. They sat down at the counter, asking about Ari's time in Reefside as she asked about what was happening in Briarwood.

"Hey Ari?" Chip was practically bouncing in his seat, and Ari was almost regretting giving him a milkshake. "Have you seen those new Power Rangers that are here? They're so cool!" he exclaimed, and Ari laughed lightly, trying to remain calm. While Xander knew of her time as the Gold Ninja Storm Ranger, he didn't know about her new powers, and the other three knew about none of it.

"I've seen them on TV, but I try to stay away from all these crazy battles going on," she told them with a shrug, playing with her bracelet.

"Good idea. It looks so terrifying," Maddie shivered at the thought of getting too close to it. "It is pretty crazy that this is the second city you've been staying in that had a monster attack," she commented.

"Yeah...crazy," Ari gave a weak laugh.

"Crazy indeed," she glanced to Xander, who was watching her carefully.

"Lucky's more like it," Chip spoke, oblivious to Ari's growing nerves.

"If you say so," she continued to play with her morpher, before jumping as it suddenly beeped.

"What was that?" Maddie asked, looking at Ari as she moved her arm behind her back.

"That was my...alarm! I gotta go to a study class for a bit," she edged away as they all frowned at her.

"Since when do you need to study?" Vida asked suspiciously. "Better yet, since when do you study at all?" the others nodded as Ari flushed.

"Since I'm learning stuff two years above my age group. I'll be back in like 2 or 3 hours, promise!" before they could stop her, she shot off, calling an apology to Hayley, who just sighed and started walking around the café to do Ari's job as well.

"She's acting weird..." Vida commented, and the others nodded, agreeing completely.

"What's up?" Ari called into her morpher as she ran from Hayley's Cyberspace.

"_We've got a problem. The White Ranger is here with this Dino Egg,_" Connor told her, and Ari groaned.

"I'm on my way!" she told him, ninja-streaking towards the warehouse.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari arrived at the warehouse a few minutes later, and quickly found Connor and Kira, who were hiding behind a wall.

"Check it out," Connor gestured around the corner, and Ari peeked out to see the White Ranger pouring energy into the Dino Egg.

"Great," Ari sighed heavily as she leaned against the wall beside Kira. "So what's the plan?" she asked, looking up at the Red Ranger.

"Should we go and talk to him?" Kira asked as she looked up at him as well.

"How about we just morph, kick his butt, and take his egg?" Connor wasn't in the mood for talking to the White Ranger who had given them so much grief.

"Yeah, I like that better," Kira grinned.

"Let's hope that goes better than last time," Ari muttered, and they emerged from their hiding place. They called out to the White Ranger, who barely reacted to them,

"I don't have time to play, Rangers," he told them coldly. "I'm busy," he lowered his hand and the bright light of his energy faded. He lifted his sword, and summoned more laser arrows. "Now go!" he barked, sending them flying at the three. Ari summoned her shield, which shattered after the last arrow hit.

"We're not here to play!" Connor snarled as he took a step forwards. Kira tossed the scanner in her hand aside.

"Oh, really?" the White Ranger sounded amused.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"Ready to get this poser?" Connor looked to the two girls as they held up their fists.

"Oh yeah!" Kira nodded, and without waiting, they ran at the White Ranger, who shot at them and knocked Kira and Connor aside with his weapon. Ari managed to meet his speed and dodge his attacks, until one caught her shoulder and she went flying back into a mesh fencing with the Red and Yellow Rangers.

"Best two out of three?" their opponent offered as he landed on his feet, his back to them.

"Ok, this is getting old!" Kira groaned as she pushed herself to her feet.

"No doubt," Connor agreed. They ran at the White Ranger again, only to be caught across their fronts and knocked to the ground again.

"This guy is too strong," Ari rolled onto her side, clutching at her chest as it stung painfully.

"We can't give up!" Connor told her, pushing himself up again. "We can take him!" he insisted.

"I doubt that," the White Ranger's amusement grew. He knocked Connor into a wall, and kicked Kira back as she ran at him.

"_Guys, you got bad news coming your way_," Hayley suddenly contacted them as the White Ranger turned and floored Ari as well.

"Worse than this?!" Kira cried out in horror. The warehouse began to shake suddenly, and dust floated down around them, unsettled by the quaking.

"Oh man, that's all we need!" Connor groaned as he got to his feet, only to be knocked flying by the White Ranger's dagger. He knocked Kira's weapon out of the way and tossed her into Connor, and Ari quickly followed suit.

"This isn't even a challenge," the White Ranger scoffed as they pushed themselves up. "Take a hike, before you really get hurt," he warned.

"Not a chance!" Connor told him as he tried to push himself to stand.

"We're not leaving without that egg!" Kira nodded.

"We can stay here and fight...but I thought you'd want to save the city," their enemy commented lightly, bouncing his dagger off his shoulder again.

"He has a point. Protecting the city is more important," Ari told them as she got to her feet.

"We'll deal with him later! Let's go!" Connor told the two girls, who nodded and followed him out of the warehouse.

1-2-3-4-5

Running to find Doctor Oliver and Ethan, the three beaten Rangers hurried through the docks, past the screaming workers who ran in the opposite direction.

"There they are!" Kira spotted the pair looking up at a new Dino Zord.

"So we got good news, bad news, and worse news," Ari declared as Ethan and Doctor Oliver looked around at them.

"We found the egg," Connor told them.

"That's the good news," Ari spoke up from his side.

"And the bad news?" Ethan frowned, not liking that the only good news was that they found the egg.

"So did the White Ranger. He's trying to hatch it!" Connor told them, and the pair groaned.

"And the worse news?" Doctor Oliver dared to ask, but before they could answer, the ground shook and they looked up to see Angor towering over the city.

"That," Ari pointed unnecessary at him.

"You guys stay here and deal with this thing," Doctor Oliver decided, and they nodded. "Let's do it!" he called to Ethan, and they stepped forwards as their morphers changed.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed into their Blue and Black suits. "The Zords are on their way," Doctor Oliver told the four, before running off as they called out thanks.

"Ready?" Connor glanced to his friends.

"Ready!" they nodded. The Brachiozord ambled towards them, opening up to reveal their own Zords. The Rangers leapt into them, and they combined to form their Megazord.

"You think you got what it takes to drop the Angor?" the monster challenged as he faced them.

"_Hang in their guys! I'll take out the White Ranger_!" Doctor Oliver called through their morphers.

"Be careful!" Ari called to him.

"You're mine!" Angor declared, running at them. They met his blows with their own easily. "I've got you 'Angored'!" he told them as they pushed back, before kicking him. They then blasted him, and he cried out, falling back.

"Your jokes are lame! Plesio Fins!" Ari yelled, and the Megazord spun, slashing Angor with the blades on their sides.

"Tricera Punch!" Ethan went next, and the head of the Tricerazord slammed into the monster.

"Tyranno Tail!" Connor called, and their other arm stabbed Angor, who staggered backwards.

"Pterarang!" Kira lifted the wings from the front of their Megazord and tossed it at Angor.

"Now I'm Angor-y!" the monster managed to deflect the attacks, and leapt into the air. "Lasers!" he blasted them with a retaliation, and they hit the ground. He then landed on them, and began bouncing off them.

"We are _not _a trampoline!" Ari groaned as they tried to push themselves up. Angor landed on them again, and they cried out.

"Body slam!" Angor hurtled towards them, and they rolled over.

"Fire breath now!" Connor activated their attack, and Angor cried out as he was surrounded by flames. He fell on his face, and the Megazord got back up. "Parasaur Zord!" they called on their newest Zord, which ran towards them. "Attachment formation!" it joined them, replacing the Tyrannozord's tail.

"You think that's gonna stop me?" Angor got back up. He ran at them and swung his weapon, only for it to be caught by their new arm. His weapon was destroyed, and he was lifted through the air and tossed back.

"Parasaur Zord, final cut!" the Rangers called, and the Parasaur cut through the monster's arm, cutting him to pieces and causing him to explode.

"We better contact Doctor O and see what's happening with the White Ranger," Connor decided, raising his arm.

"_Go ahead_!" after a moment, Doctor Oliver responded.

"We got the situation under control! How are you doing there?" he asked their teacher.

"_Got a little sidetracked_," the Black Ranger told them. "_I'm heading back to the White Ranger now_," he ended the communication and the four waited, hoping that Doctor Oliver wasn't too late. They had their answer when the warehouse where the White Ranger had been hatching the egg suddenly collapsed, and a black and white Dino Zord appeared.

"Whoa, what's that?" Ethan stared at the Zord.

"Give you one guess," Connor frowned.

"Trouble," Ari bit her lip nervously.

"He must've hatched the Dino Zord egg," Kira realised. "I don't like the look of this," she gulped.

"Hello again Rangers!" the White Ranger landed on the new Zord's head. "Well? What do you think? If you're gonna wear the suit, you gotta have the Zord, right?" he laughed. "What? Don't look so shocked. Now, let's see what this bird can do. Dragozord, activate," he called into his morpher.

"You guys ready for this?" Connor called.

"Huh?"

"I guess so," Kira groaned.

"Nope," Ari shook her head, but knew they had no choice. They had to fight.

**Hope you guys liked it!**

**Please review!**


	10. White Thunder Part 3

Chapter 10: White Thunder Part 3

"Let's do it!" the White Ranger called. "Dragozord, show these fools what you can do," he told his new Zord, and leapt off onto a building. The Megazord braced itself, and the Dragozord began to flap its wings with a shriek. A powerful wind picked up, destroying buildings and forcing the Megazord back.

"Hey! No need to get crazy!" Connor yelled as they struggled to remain standing as the debris battered them with the wind. It shot into the air, and flew towards them as one of its wings began to glow. It struck them repeatedly, and the four cried out as they were thrown about even more. When Doctor Oliver called on the Stegozord to help, the White Ranger suddenly caught it with his powers, and merged it with his Dragozord.

"Please tell me that that did _not _just happen," Ari put her hands to her helmet.

"He stole the Stego!" Connor cried out in horror.

"Not bad for a new guy, eh?" the White Ranger taunted.

"Why are you doing this? You're losing it!" Kira yelled at him.

"No, you're the one losing it," the White Ranger scoffed as he faced them. "And you're losing it to me!" before they could react, he slammed his swallow-tail weapon into them, and they cried out as their Megazord staggered. When he went to attack again, they managed to block it with the Parasaur Zord.

"I say we go at him full on! Tricera Fist!" Ethan yelled, and slammed the fist into the new Megazord. The Parasaur disconnected, and the Tyrannozord's tail reappeared.

"Tyranno Drill!" it began to spin and glow.

"Dino Stegozord stinger, intercept!" calling on his own weapon, he fired it at the Megazord as they flew towards him. It slammed into them, and the power forced the Megazord to split apart, and threw the Rangers out.

"Brutal," Kira moaned from the ground.

"You're telling me," Ethan nodded, all of them unable to get up.

"Kira, Connor! Ethan, Ari, are you guys alright?" Doctor Oliver ran over, crouching in front of them.

"I'll get back to you on that one," Ari rolled onto her back and forced herself to sit up.

"Our Zords are seriously tweaked," as if to confirm this, the Dino Zords cried out weakly.

"That was just low," Doctor Oliver growled as he looked up at the Megazord still standing over them.

"Since when do they have bad Power Rangers?" Ethan complained.

"Ethan, you're standing beside the first of many," Ari pointed out, standing up and helping Connor up.

"Now I'll take the rest of the Zords!" the White Ranger declared.

"Not gonna happen!" Doctor Oliver yelled up at him as the other three stared in horror at their helpless Zords. He lifted his arm and began to press buttons, making it beep loudly.

"What are you doing?" Kira asked, noticing this.

"Trying to break the Stegozord away," the Black Ranger explained. After a moment, thunder boomed and dark pink lightning flashed around the Megazord. Doctor Oliver's morpher switched to the Stegozord's head, and the Megazord broke apart. The Rangers cheered as the Stegozord ambled away quickly before it could be taken again.

"You'll pay for that," the White Ranger warned, and flew off in his Dragozord.

"Good save Doctor O!" Ethan cheered as they watched him disappear.

"Thanks, but I doubt if it'll last," he told Ethan as he looked from the Blue Ranger, to the sky. "The White Ranger's power over the Stegozord is too strong," he sighed heavily.

1-2-3-4-5

"Wow, that was like, the worst day ever," Connor summed up as they sat in Doctor Oliver's lab.

"Brutal," Ethan nodded his agreement. All of them were covered in even more bruises than before, and their morale had hit a new low.

"There's gonna be a lot of days like this guys," Doctor Oliver told them heavily as he walked past.

"I look forward to it," Ari muttered, her arms around her legs.

"Uh, what happened to the glass is half full?" Kira frowned at their teacher.

"Sometimes, it's not," he looked at her with a shrug. "Sometimes it's empty," he shook his head.

"Good start for a pep-talk," Ari huffed, scowling a little bit.

"But that's when you gotta dig deep," Doctor Oliver frowned at how she snarky was being. "That's when the qualities that made you guys Rangers, become most important," they all looked up at him in surprise, losing their scowls.

"You're right..." Connor agreed, but still felt helpless. "What can we do?" he asked their teacher.

"Go have a little fun. Ari, aren't your friends in town?" he looked at her, and she looked a little surprised that he knew. "And Ethan, isn't there a new video game you wanna check out?" Doctor Oliver asked the Blue Ranger.

"I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I have no desire to go near a computer," Ethan admitted with a depressed shrug.

"I know what you mean," Kira nodded, looking just as dejected. "I haven't picked up my guitar in days," she sighed heavily.

"Go on. Teacher's orders," Doctor Oliver instructed, and they looked up at him silently. "Go," he insisted, and they slowly got to their feet and shuffled off as he watched, looking worried.

1-2-3-4-5

"Yo Ari, are you ok?" Vida asked as they walked through Reefside.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she forced a smile, but none of them bought it.

"What happened? Weren't you just studying? I know you hate it but it couldn't have been that bad," Maddie watched as Ari rubbed her sore arm.

"Did you miss the attack that went on while you were away?" she looked at Chip, raising an eyebrow at him as he bounced a little. "Yeah, there was a massive attack, everyone had to stay inside cause it was like a tornado hit! There was a big battle with dinosaurs and everything!" he exclaimed.

"Chip, it's not cool," Maddie scolded him softly. "It's dangerous!"

"That makes it so much cooler!" Chip didn't seem fazed at all.

"I heard the Power Rangers got their butts kicked too," Ari's fists clenched at Vida's shrug. She looked up when Xander caught her wrist suddenly.

"We'll be right back," he told the other three, pulling Ari away before she could stop him. "Ok, what's going on here?" as soon as they were out of earshot, Xander turned to Ari. "You were already acting weird this morning, and now you're acting even weirder. Is it something to do with this attack?" he asked, and Ari tensed.

"Xander...I can't..." she mumbled, not looking at him.

"Do you feel responsible to help because you were a Ranger before?" the taller teenager asked her, watching her carefully as she rubbed her arm again. "I'm not blind, I can see that," he poked her cheek, and she flinched as he pressed the bruise.

"You don't need to poke it!" she stepped away, finally meeting his gaze. "Please, don't push this Xander, I can't get you-" Ari stopped abruptly as she saw Trent stumble past. "Trent?" she frowned as he disappeared off.

"Ari!" she looked around as Connor ran over, looking worried. "Did you see Trent go this way?" he asked her as he reached the pair.

"Yeah, that way. He's still acting weird," Ari commented to him, and he nodded.

"We need to find him, I think he's really sick," the Red Ranger told her, and Ari's worry for their friend grew.

"Ok, I'll come with you," she told him, before looking at Xander. "I'm sorry, I gotta go," before he could stop her, she ran off with Connor, trying to find Trent.

"Is everything ok?" Connor called to her as they ran in the direction Trent had stumbled off in.

"Forget me, we need to make sure Trent is ok," Ari told him, and they slowed to a stop as they reached the quarry. "Where is he?" she wondered, seeing no sign of their friend.

"I know he went this way!" Connor insisted as they looked around, before the White Ranger appeared from behind them and tackled them off the cliff.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" they morphed, just before they hit the ground. "Oh great, it's you again," Connor groaned as they got back to their feet.

"Tell you what. This time, I'll give you a sporting chance," the White Ranger told them, tossing his dagger aside.

"You're going down!" Connor yelled.

"Oh, really?" the White Ranger smirked. He shot at the pair, and Connor went down hard as Ari blocked his attack. "Looks like it's you that's down," he commented lightly.

"This guy is really annoying me," Ari helped Connor up, and he drew his blaster.

"Can't fight me without a weapon, huh?" the White Ranger goaded, and with a growl, Connor tossed it aside.

"Why do we have to fight?" Ari asked him softly. "We're all Rangers, why can't we just get along?" she demanded.

"You're good, I'm evil. It's a pretty simple concept," he pointed out.

"But _why _are you evil?" Ari demanded, but instead of answering, the White Ranger ran at them and with a quick punch, threw Connor back several metres. He then swung his leg as Ari attempted to attack him, and she slammed into the cliff-face.

"Hey Doctor O!" Connor called into his morpher from the ground. "We're in trouble here!" he told their teacher.

"_Hang on Connor, I'll send you some backup_!" the Black Ranger replied, having been just about to contact him. The White Ranger then yanked Connor to his feet, and bombarded him with hits, and tripped him up.

"Look what I found!" the White Ranger held up a sword.

"You're out of your mind!" Connor yelled at him.

"Now now, let's not judge," the White Ranger chided him. "Especially since I have the sword," he pointed out, and ran at Connor. His sword bounced off Ari's blades, and she scowled up at him from under her helmet.

"And I have two. Now who can't judge?" she pushed him back as he blocked her attacks, before more voices reached them.

"They went this way ,didn't they?" Ari's eyes widened under her helmet.

"I think so. This is the direction those explosions were coming from," Maddie nodded to her sister as they approached the quarry.

"Whoa, look! The Power Rangers!" Chip exclaimed with excitement as they saw Ari pushing back the White Ranger, attempting to keep his attention.

"Wait a second. The swords..." Xander frowned as he watched the White Ranger continue to parry Ari's attacks.

"Oh, spectators?" he noticed the four standing on the cliff.

"Uh oh, we better go," Maddie gulped as they backed away.

"We don't need those!" the White Ranger kicked Ari back and fired a blast at the four, who were frozen in surprise. They were even more surprised when Ari ninja-streaked up the cliff and stood in front of them, raising a shield. The blast slammed into it and shattered the shimmering light, shoving Ari back a little. She fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

"Get out of here!" Connor yelled as he tackled the White Ranger. He was punished by the White Ranger slashing across Connor's chest. The four ran off, and Ari leapt back down as the White Ranger switched his weapon to a blaster.

"Also comes as a handy laser. Later bro," he pointed it at Connor, but Ari intercepted once again with her shield. However, this one broke straight through and slammed into her, knocking her into Connor. They fell to the ground, and groaned. "Don't even bother. It's over," he told them. Connor let out a furious roar, and pushed himself to his feet.

"It is _so _not over," he growled as the White Ranger was taken by surprise. Power began to fill him, and his suit changed. The spikes on his suit became real, sticking out. "Dino Power!" he yelled as Ari stared up from behind him. Connor then charged at the White Ranger, who seemed frightened of his new power.

"Stay back!" he ordered, blasting Connor again. This time, it did nothing, bouncing harmlessly off his suit. He rammed into the White Ranger, and slammed him to the ground.

"Whoa! Looks like I tapped into a whole new level of power!" the Red Ranger cheered as his suit returned to normal.

"That was awesome," Ari grinned as Connor ran over to her.

"Are you ok?" he asked her, and she nodded, despite being in a lot of pain.

"You beat me at my own game," the White Ranger groaned as he got to his feet. "Congratulations. Looks like you won't have to worry about the White Ranger anymore..." he dropped his blaster, and crashed to the ground.

"Hey, I didn't mean to..." Connor ran over and helped him up. "Are you alright?" he asked. The White Ranger moved suddenly, grabbing his blaster.

"Am now!" he laughed, and Connor barely managed to dodge the blast.

"I can't believe I fell for that," Connor groaned.

"And here is what you get for your stupidity," he blasted Connor again, knocking him to the ground. "You put up a pretty good fight, but now it's over," the White Ranger lifted his dagger as Ari helped Connor up. He walked towards the pair, only for Mesogog and Zeltrax appear from an invisiportal behind him.

"Don't let me interrupt," Mesogog commented as the White Ranger approached them.

"Who are you?" the White Ranger demanded suspiciously as he turned to face the monster.

"I am Mesogog."

"I can't believe you two haven't met," Connor growled as he looked from one party to the next, ready to fight. "You have so much in common," he said.

"Connor," Ari hissed at him.

"Silence!" Zeltrax blasted the pair and they went flying.

"Do not speak, unless spoken to," Mesogog snarled at them. "Now, we have some business," he turned to the White Ranger.

"I have no business with you," the White Ranger shrugged.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll help you defeat the rest of the Power Rangers, and you can be one of my subjects when I rule the planet," Mesogog offered him.

"Great offer," Ari muttered as she helped Connor up.

"I'll take a pass on that. Dragozord, online!" the White Ranger didn't think so either, summoning his Zord. "I'm outta here!" he leapt up into it, and flew away. Mesogog and Zeltrax then turned to the Rangers, approaching them slowly.

"Shall I finish them off, Master?" Zeltrax offered, holding his sword out.

"No. Our new friend seems to have a fascination with the Red one. I will let him live in the hopes he will lead us to him again," Mesogog decided.

"And the Gold one?" Zeltrax looked to Ari, who watched him carefully.

"She has powers that are not connected to the Dino Gems. I would like to see how they work against the White Ranger as well," she glared at him, but tears were stinging at her eyes. Even Mesogog knew of her powers.

"Very well my lord," Zeltrax agreed, and the pair walked off, disappearing as quickly as they appeared.

"Connor! Ari!" they looked around as Ethan pulled up on his bike and ran over to the pair. "Are you ok?" Ethan asked, helping Connor up.

"I think so," the Red Ranger nodded. "Just so you know, good guys do not wear white," he told Ethan. They looked up as the White Ranger's Megazord appeared, along with the monster that Kira and Doctor Oliver had been fighting off.

"Looks like we have no choice," Ari shrugged.

"Are you ok to keep fighting?" Connor asked her, seeing her dirt covered face that hid a few cuts.

"Always," she nodded, looking determined.

"Hey! They're fighting each other!" Connor realised as he looked up to see the two giants faced off. Angor wrapped the Megazord in chains, and the three watched, quickly joined by Doctor Oliver and Kira. The Megazord began to glow, and the chains were shattered easily.

"He's so powerful," Ari stared in horror as the Megazord destroyed the monster in one blast.

1-2-3-4-5

"I don't get it," after returning to Doctor Oliver's lab, the Rangers thought about the battle they had just watched. "One minute, the White Ranger is fighting us, then the next, he's blowing up Mesogog's freak," Kira frowned, not understanding the day's events at all.

"Whoever he is, he could definitely use an anger management course," Ethan commented with a shrug.

"He's not interested in an alliance," Ari paced the lab. "It's more like he just wants to fight. And now that Connor's managed to take him down..." she stopped, and looked over at Connor. "I have a feeling he's definitely not going to stop until he takes him down," they all looked at Connor.

"Great..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Hey Doctor O, just what was that whole Super Dino Power thing?" he turned to their teacher.

"Look, you guys have only begun to access your true potential," Doctor Oliver explained as he walked away from the computer.

"I like the sound of that," despite everything, Ethan grinned.

"I'm going to the warehouse to get that fossil finder that we left," Connor spoke up, but Doctor Oliver shook his head.

"No, you guys head home and get some rest. I'll get the fossil finder," Doctor Oliver said to him.

"Thanks," Connor grinned at him, and they turned, walking off. "I still don't know if Trent's alright...I left a message," his smile fell as he thought about how strange the boy had been acting.

"I'm sure he's fine," Kira managed a smile, but she was just as worried as they were. "Ari, you coming home with me?" she asked, but Ari shook her head.

"No, I have some friends I need to go yell at," she told them, heading off to meet her friends.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari! You'll never guess what happened!" Chip was the first to spot Ari approaching them.

"What?" she asked, and he missed the sound of irritation in her voice.

"We saw the Power Rangers!" he told her with a grin.

"Chip, it's not good. That guy would have killed us," Vida frowned at him, still a little shaken from their encounter with the White Ranger. "We saw the White Ranger fighting the Red and Gold Rangers. The Gold one just about saved us," she looked to Ari.

"V's right Chip. Everything that goes on around those Rangers is dangerous. Next time, just run," she looked at Chip, who pouted. When she looked to Xander, she saw his frown, and her heart pounded painfully as she realised he knew.

"So where did you disappear to? We couldn't find you," Maddie asked her curiously.

"We caught up with Trent and took him home," Ari lied, hating the guilt that swelled inside her. "I'm sorry I've not been able to hang out today, it's been pretty busy. Next time maybe you could tell me when you're coming?" she grinned, and they nodded. "Now come on, since I've been a flake I'll pay for milkshakes at Hayley's Cyberspace," she told them, and both Vida and Chip cheered, and Maddie smiled. They shot off, and Ari waited. "So, you know then?" her voice was soft as she turned to Xander.

"That you're the Gold Ranger who saved our asses when we thought it would be a good idea to follow you? Yeah," Xander nodded, and Ari groaned, putting a hand to her face.

"Doctor O is going to kill me," she sighed heavily, and Xander put a hand on her head.

"Probably, especially since you got in trouble the last time," Ari lowered her hand to mock-glare at Xander, who was grinning at this point. "Thanks Ari, you really saved us," he pulled her into a hug, and she sighed, finding herself relaxing a little.

"I did, just next time, don't be stupid and follow me," she told him, frowning up at her best friend.

"Me? Stupid? Never," he winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"You're such a dork," she muttered.

"I prefer charming," Xander told her. "Now come on, before V and Chip get impatient," he commented.

"You just want to find another group of girls to flirt with," Ari sighed, starting to walk.

"Well, that too," Xander nodded, and despite how worried she was about the White Ranger, Ari began to laugh.

* * *

**Well I intended to have finished writing this story by now, but a lot of things have gotten in the way, which is pretty annoying. There's only 4 chapters left to write though, which isn't so bad!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	11. Truth and Consequences

Chapter 11: Truth and Consequences

It was early the next morning when the Rangers were woken by their beeping morphers. They were horrified when Hayley called them to Doctor Oliver's lab, and revealed that Doctor Oliver had been attacked by the White Ranger and trapped.

"Is he ok?" Ethan looked to Hayley as she scanned the block of orange substance that the Black Ranger was trapped in. After not hearing back from him for several hours when he had gone to retrieve the fossil finder.

"This internal scan should be able to tell us more," Hayley told them, just as worried as they were.

"What's the deal? Is he frozen or something?" Kira asked as Hayley sighed.

"Not exactly," she turned to them. "It's more like he's fossilised. Fused into this amber-like substance," she explained as best she could to the four students.

"Can you get him out?" Connor asked, looking from Doctor Oliver to Hayley. Her worried frown grew deeper, and she shook her head.

"Too risky. He's able to stay alive in there, but I'd hate to think what would happen if I broke him out," she told him.

"Fossilising the palaeontologist...this White Ranger has one sick sense of humour," Ari muttered.

"Personally, I've had enough of him," Kira growled. All of them looked worn out. Since the White Ranger had appeared, none of them had been getting enough sleep.

"Let's find out who this guy is and deal with him," Connor decided. "Now."

1-2-3-4-5

Running around Hayley's Cyberspace, Ari balanced trays in each hand, trying to deal with the packed café as best she could.

"Hey Ari," Connor, Kira and Ethan called out to the Gold Ranger as she darted past, not having noticed them.

"Hey guys!" she called back, sliding one of the trays onto a table in front of those who had ordered the drinks. She immediately shot off and set down the next tray, moving over to the counter to grab more.

"I'd say your training is really coming in handy," Hayley commented as she put more drinks down on the tray.

"Definitely, but even I have my limits," Ari chuckled. She lifted the trays again, wincing a little as she bumped one of her many bruises into the counter. She hurried off again, glancing around as Trent walked in. "About time," she sighed, weaving around the many customers to get to where the drinks were needed to go. She set them down on the table, smiling at the girls as they thanked her, before setting down the rest at the next table. She returned to the bar as Trent followed Hayley up and down, talking to her.

"Later, grab a tray," the red-head was saying as she set down another drink.

"I can't...I'm quitting," everyone looked at the soft spoken boy quickly. He looked exhausted, and worried.

"Why? Trouble with your dad again?" Hayley frowned at him, not understanding the sudden decision.

"No, it's not that," he followed her as she walked down the bar. "I just..." he then walked back up. "I just have to quit!" he told her quickly. "I'm sorry..." he sighed, turning away.

"Trent..." Ari spoke softly as she watched Kira chase after him.

"What's his deal?" Ethan frowned as they watched the pair.

"Something's been up with him for the last few days..." Ari commented as she lifted the tray to start lifting empty glasses. "I hope it wasn't anything about what I said," she mumbled as she thought about what she had said to him just before he'd started acting strange, but as she went to make her way around the busy tables, the doors burst open.

"Excuse me, people! Important announcement!" Cassidy declared, earning the attention of the whole room. "Attention, look at me! I have the scoop of the century! Excuse me girls, I need the stage," she moved past the two girls sitting on the stage. Everyone gathered around, looking sceptical and irritated at the blonde. Connor and Ethan stood beside Ari, looking curious.

"And, as my faithful core audience-"

"She means her only audience," Ari muttered, and both Connor and Ethan snorted loudly.

"I wanted to share it with you guys first," Cassidy shot glares at the three.

"What do you think this is about?" Ethan smirked, looking to the Red and Gold Rangers.

"Maybe she's decided to run for Queen?" Kira suggested, making them laugh.

"I have uncovered the identity of the one and only, White Ranger!" their laughter stopped abruptly. "And any minute now, my assistant Devin is going to come through that door with videotape evidence," Cassidy announced as they stared at her. Everyone looked at the door, but nothing happened. "Any minute," Cassidy gave a polite smile, and everyone looked from the door, to the wannabe reporter, and back to the door. "Where is he?" she hissed to herself, her voice echoing through the microphone in front of her. Finally Devin burst through the doors, looking around.

"Oh Cas! I'm here! Sorry I'm late!" he sprinted up to the stage.

"So? Devin, where's your camera?" Cassidy demanded.

"See, that might be just...a little problem," Devin spoke slowly, looking worried.

"Only if you don't have it," Cassidy growled back at him. He was silent for a moment, before giving a small smile and whispering in her ear. Everyone rolled their eyes, growing impatient.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that the White Ranger is..." the room was silent as Cassidy paused. "Taped on a camera that Devin stupidly loaned his sister, but when she returns it, I'll be sure to let you know," she told them, attempting to remain professional as everyone let out irritated groans. She proceeded to growl at Devin as everyone rolled their eyes.

"I suppose that would have been too easy," Ari shook her head, and with a small smile at her friends, she hurried off to continue working.

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After hearing about a disturbance in town, the four Rangers headed out to see what was wrong. Already morphed and on their bikes, they rode out towards the problem, where they found Elsa and Zeltrax taking on the White Ranger.

"Hold it right there!" Connor yelled out to the three as they reached them.

"Great, that's all we need," Elsa groaned as they jumped off their bikes and ran over.

"Whoa...who's side do we take?" Ethan looked from one of their enemies, to the others.

"Good question," Connor frowned as well.

"We'll make it easy for you!" Elsa spat at them, and activated an Invisportal. Before anyone could stop them, she and Zeltrax disappeared, leaving the five Rangers alone.

"If you had any sense, you'd run too," the White Ranger warned in a low growl.

"Sense? What's that?" Ari asked innocently, looking to her team-mates.

"Dream on!" Kira snapped at him. They raced towards the White Ranger as they drew their weapons, but he met their blows with his Drago Sword and easily knocked each of them aside. He knocked one of Ari's blades out of her hand and flipped her, and the Gold Ranger landed on her back hard. The White Ranger then turned to Kira, and after deflecting her attacks, he slammed her into a wall.

"Had enough?" the White Ranger questioned, making Kira growl.

"Hardly!" she snapped. "Super Dino Mode!" she called on the new power that Connor had unlocked. Her suit began to change, giving her long spikes that came off her suit. She shoved him off and hit hi across the chest, making him cry out, before grabbing him. Kira then leapt into the air, and flew off, carrying the White Ranger with her. She dropped him and he slammed into some railings, falling to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" he warned as he got back to his feet, stumbling slightly. "I'm taking you down!" he yelled as she flew through the air. He called on his laser arrows, which slammed into her and knocked her out of the sky.

"Lasers, fire!" as soon as she fell to the ground, the remaining three Rangers stepped in front of her, firing their blasters at the White Ranger, but he easily blocked their attacks and sent them to the ground. As they cried out, he let out a laugh, and Kira forced herself back up.

"That's enough!" she yelled, rushing at him again. She attacked him, but he easily countered her punches before grabbing her wrist and twisting it.

"You're a little out of your league, don't you think?" the White Ranger mocked her, before shoving her so he could slash across her front with his sword. "See my point?" he called on more laser arrows as she got back up, ready to keep fighting despite how much pain she was in. "Fire!" he blasted her with the arrows, and she tumbled through the air before landing hard, and demorphing.

"Come on!" Connor yelled as they saw the beaten Yellow Ranger. He, Ari and Ethan ran at the White Ranger again, but he was much faster, and they hit the ground again.

"Back off!" he snarled at them, before walking towards Kira. "Never did like the colour yellow," he commented, standing over her. "Well, Yellow Ranger, time to say goodbye," he mocked, grabbing her wrist and yanking her up to deliver the finishing blow. However, he froze, and his hand fell to his side. He suddenly let out a cry, releasing Kira and stumbling backwards as he put his hands to his helmet.

"You ready?" Connor, Ethan and Ari got back to their feet.

"Super Dino Mode!" all three called on the new power and leapt at the White Ranger as he was distracted. Feeling the much greater power flow, they tackled him and this time as they attacked him, the battle turned in their favour, and within moments he was on the ground.

"I'll be back!" the White Ranger declared, and shot off before they could stop him.

"Power down," the three demorphed and instantly sagged, exhausted and badly beaten. They ran over to Kira, helping her up.

"Are you ok?" Ethan asked her as she rubbed her wrist.

"Yeah...I'll be fine..." she muttered, looking in the direction that the White Ranger had gone as all of them wondered the same thing.

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The Rangers, along with Hayley, stood in Doctor Oliver's lab, all of them silent. Kira had gone to find Trent, wanting to know what was wrong with the boy, and had returned with the news that she had found out what was wrong with him. He was the White Ranger.

"Trent? There's no way..." Ethan said in disbelief. Ari was just staring at the short Yellow Ranger, stunned as she felt the same wave of betrayal that had hit when Hunter and Blake had revealed themselves to be the Thunder Rangers.

"Nice," they looked around at Connor's snarl. "Pretending to be our friend one minute, and then kicking our butts the next. I can't _believe _I fell for it!" he yelled angrily, standing beside Ethan, Hayley and Ari.

"I told you, he can't help it," Kira's voice was soft. "The Gem is too powerful!" she told him.

"Stop defending him," Connor's voice was quiet and his expression was a mixture of hurt as well as anger.

"Ari, what was it your friend said?" Kira looked to the Gold Ranger, who remained silent. "About the place where the Gem was hidden?" Ari blinked, and looked up at her, tears stinging her eyes.

"That it was filled with dark energy," she remembered what Derek and his brothers had said when they had encountered the Moon Ninjas only days ago. Her brain kicked in, and Ari shook her head. "What if that was why it was hidden, instead of being used straight away?" she asked, looking at the others.

"To surround it with dark energy?" Hayley glanced at her, and Ari nodded. "It's plausible, yes, but why would anyone do that?" she asked.

"What does it matter?" Connor snapped at the two. "What _does _matter, is that Trent has spent this entire time trying to destroy us! And today, he nearly killed Kira!" he exclaimed, looking at the Yellow Ranger.

"I'm with Connor on this one," Ethan shrugged. "Look at what he did to Doctor O!" he pointed at their fossilised teacher.

"Doctor O is exactly why we should think this through!" Ari pointed out, her fists clenched. "He was evil once, he knows what it's all about," she told them, and Ethan hesitated while Connor just frowned.

"Hayley? He needs our help," Kira turned to the red-head, pleading with the genius.

"I dunno if there's anything I _can _do, but I'll try," she nodded after a moment.

"Hey, don't go without us," Connor told her. "I've got some stuff I'd like to say to that guy," he growled.

"No doubt," Ethan nodded, looking more hurt over Trent being the White Ranger than anything else. Ari met Kira's worried eyes, and shrugged, knowing that the only way they'd understand would be to talk to Trent themselves.

1-2-3-4-5

The five ran towards where Kira had last seen Trent, and found that the White Ranger was nowhere to be found. The bench that he had been sitting on was overturned, and his sketchpad was lying on the ground.

"He was supposed to wait right here!" Kira cried as she reached the spot.

"There's a surprise. He lied to us again," Ethan sighed as Kira lifted his fallen sketchpad.

"Kira, I'm telling you. Trent can't be trusted," Connor insisted. Ari crouched, looking at the small sighs of a struggle. There wasn't much to go on with the hard ground, except for a lot of flattened grass, and even a Ninja master would have a problem figuring out what had happened. Kira remained silent, looking up at her friends.

1-2-3-4-5

"I'm picking up the White Ranger's signal! He's back!" Hayley's call brought the four teens to attention. They ran over to the genius, and watched the screens as he summoned his Zords, combining them to create his Megazord.

"Great. Major Megazord action right off the bat," Ethan groaned.

"That never bodes well," Ari shook her head. While they were able to gain the upper hand in the battle with the White Ranger with their Super Dino Mode, battling with Zords was a completely different story. Especially since he had one of their Auxiliary Zords.

"This might be a good time to use a new Dino Zord," Hayley commented.

"Let's do it," Connor rushed to the open part of the lab, but as he went to start the morphing, he stopped. "Wait," they frowned and looked to him, and he glanced at the Yellow Ranger. "We've got to do whatever it takes to stop Trent. You know that, right?" he asked the Yellow Ranger. Kira nodded, but didn't speak. "Ok. Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed and headed to face Trent in their Zords. They immediately combined them, and faced off against the White Ranger.

"_Here you go guys! Ankylozord_!" Hayley's voice crackled over their morphers. There was a loud explosion nearby, and a new Zord appeared from the smoke. It roared loudly, and ran between the two Megazords.

"That is awesome!" Ari cheered as she looked down at the orange Dino Zord.

"A new Dino Zord eh?" Trent spoke up as he watched it. "I'll add it to my collection," he decided. His Megazord moved forwards, reaching for the Dino Zord, but the Rangers moved as well.

"I don't think so!" Connor yelled.

"Yeah, you already took one of ours!" Ari nodded, and the two Megazords grabbed the Dino Zord. They began to fight over it, turning their battle into a giant game of Tug-of-War. The Dino Zord roared angrily, and attacked them both. The two Megazords fell backwards, and the Dino Zord moved away. The two Megazords began to fight each other, and the White Ranger easily dominated.

"Not good!" Kira cried out as they were floored. Before Trent could attack again, the Ankylozord blasted him.

"_What are you guys waiting for_?" Hayley spoke up as the Dino Zord returned. "_Ankylozord may be small, but check out his power_!" she told them as they got back to their feet.

"Ankylozord weapon formation!" the Megazord changed, and the new Dino Zord replaced the Tricera arm. "Formation complete!"

"Lasers, fire!" the White Ranger attacked instantly, but they blocked it with the new weapon. Trent cried out as his own attack was bounced back at him, throwing him around the cockpit of his Megazord. While he was distracted, the Rangers rushed towards him.

"Thundersaurus Megazord, Double Drill Attack!" with both arms of the Megazord spinning, they struck the White Ranger's Megazord repeatedly and knocked it to the ground. The Rangers cheered, and Trent got back up.

"Don't think this is over!" Trent warned them, before disappearing in golden lights.

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"Hey guys," Ari greeted Connor and Ethan as she walked into Hayley's Cyberspace, her skateboard under one arm as she unclipped her helmet.

"Finally, someone to save me from Ethan's geek speak," Connor breathed. The Blue Ranger frowned at him, and Ari giggled.

"Sorry Connor, but I gotta work," she told the Red Ranger, placing her helmet on his head.

"Hey, watch the hair!" he protested, swatting her away.

"Working? But you were working this morning," Ethan frowned at Ari as she laughed, dodging Connor as he tried to hit her with her helmet.

"That was before Trent quit," Ari told him, and Connor scowled. He was still angry with Trent. "I told Hayley I'd cover some of his shifts when I can," she explained, and moved off to start working. As she started lifting glasses from the tables, her small smile dropped. "I just hope he'll be ok," she murmured, worried for the boy who had been her friend.

* * *

**My RPM morpher arrived today and I can't stop playing with it...**

**No idea if I'll be able to update tomorrow as I've been asked to cover (yet another) shift, so if I don't, I will update as soon as I can!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	12. Leader of the Whack

Chapter 12: Leader of the Whack

It had been several days since Trent had disappeared, and so far there had been no more sightings of the White Ranger. There had also been no breakthrough in freeing Doctor Oliver from the block of amber that he had been trapped in, and Principal Randall was getting more and more irritated.

The four remaining Rangers hung out in the lab as Hayley continued more tests in attempting to free the Black Ranger, each doing their own thing. While Ethan played a new computer game and Kira practised on her guitar, Connor was kicking his ball around, and Ari practised on her skateboard.

"Hayley! One more level, and I break my all-time record!" Ethan called to the genius as she scanned the amber.

"What record? How long you've sat playing one game?" Ari giggled as she skated past, before Connor smirked. His tossed his red and white ball, and it hit the geek's laptop, switching it off.

"Connor!" Ethan cried out as Connor and Ari laughed.

"Sorry," Connor didn't sound very apologetic as he retrieved his ball.

"Now I have to start all over!" Ethan got to his feet, looking upset.

"Isn't that part of the fun?" Ari tilted her head as she stopped beside them. Ethan glared at her, and Ari covered her mouth to hide her grin as Connor laughed.

"Haven't you heard? There's the great new thing called the outdoors!" Connor told him as Ethan walked past him. "You might wanna check it out," Ethan rolled his eyes at the jock.

"Tell you what. I'll check that out, when I see you checking out the library," he challenged the Red Ranger brightly. Connor started laughing, and looked over at Kira.

"You got about as much chance of seeing that, as seeing Kira at a fashion show," he smirked, and the blonde looked up quickly, her guitar twanging loudly.

"Do you _really _wanna go there?" she scowled at them.

"Or Ari in something other than shorts," Connor then looked at Ari, who looked down at her jeans, which cut off at the knees. She then shrugged, and started skating again.

"Hey, any luck on defossilising Doctor O?" Ethan walked over to Hayley as Kira continued to glare at Connor.

"Not yet," Hayley sighed, glancing at the Blue Ranger. "I just can't find an energy source that can safely break the molecular bonds of the amber," she told him.

"The Gem of Souls probably could," they all looked sharply over at Ari as she flipped her board.

"The what?" Connor frowned at her as she looked over.

"A magical green Gem. From what I gathered, it harnessed energy and increased it tenfold, at least," Ari shrugged. "Too bad it broke and the rest of the shards are in the ocean. And that it would kill me if I got too close for too long," they all sighed.

"Kill you? You're joking, right?" Kira frowned at her, but Ari shook her head.

"Nope. It drains my powers. Nearly killed me before," she told them lightly, before the alarm began to beep loudly. They glanced over at the computer, and found something was being picked up by the scanners. They walked over, all quiet as Hayley took a seat to see what it was.

"That's weird. The satellite's picking up a strange reading in the forest," she frowned.

"Let's go check it out," Connor glanced to his friends, who nodded.

1-2-3-4-5

The four walked through the forest, heading towards the coordinates where the strange reading was coming from. When they reached it, they found that they weren't the first to arrive.

"Trent?" Kira frowned when she saw the White Ranger crouched beside it, accompanied by Cassidy and Devin.

"What are you guys doing here?" Trent's eyes widened as he looked over at them.

"I might ask you the same thing," Connor growled. Both he and Ethan now had their guard up, ready to fight the boy. "Haven't seen you around for a while," he glared at him.

"Yeah, we really need to catch up," Ethan said, equally hostile. Cassidy and Devin exchanged confused looks as Trent sighed.

"Not now guys," Kira warned them quietly.

"Yeah, you want those two asking more questions? Or better yet, you want to goad Trent into morphing in front of them?" Ari hissed at them, pulling Connor back.

"They're right," the Red Ranger said, but didn't stop glaring suspiciously at Trent. "Let's check this thing out," he decided.

"Pardon me," a warped voice spoke up, sounding timid. "But I don't think I'm supposed to let you do that," a monster told them nervously. He was surrounded by Tyrannodrones, and Cassidy let out a whimper.

"Quick, run!" she cried to Devin, and the pair too off as even more Tyrannodrones attacked.

"Whose side are you on today Trent?" Connor called over to the White Ranger as they all stood around the strange rock.

"You want my help or not?" Trent yelled back at him.

"Yes, yes we do," Ari told him before the others could respond.

"If it's all the same, I'll just watch from over here," the monster told them, and the Tyrannodrones attacked them. They fought them off easily before their morphers began to beep.

"_Guys, I'm analyzing the radiation from that rock, and it's really freak. Get away from it_," Hayley told them, sounding worried.

"It's a little late for that!" Kira snapped at her, before taking down another Tyrannodrone.

"What a strange little rock..." the monster mused as he approached it cautiously. A moment later, he was letting out a loud growl. "I want a piece of the action!" he declared, running at Connor. He swung his mace-like fist at the Red Ranger, only for Ari to intercept and block with her shield. "Come on you wimps! Put 'em up!" he roared at them furiously as the four stood together.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Ethan looked to their leader. Connor nodded, and their morphers revealed themselves.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed and continued fighting, taking down the Tyrannodrones much faster now. As she was knocked aside by the rampaging monster, Ari noticed a light fly up from the rock and hit Trent, who stumbled as his vision blurred. He ran off quickly, making Ari frown, before more lights shot up and hit the four Rangers.

"Yeah!" Ethan suddenly yelled, and with a fierceness that the others had never seen him demonstrate before, he took out one Tyrannodrone after another.

"I'll be back for round two!" the monster warned as he was kicked back by Connor. "Retreat!" he barked to the Tyrannodrones, and they disappeared through an Invisportal.

"Ok, Power Down," Connor demorphed, and the four regrouped. "Well, that was a challenging altercation," he commented, frowning.

"I was just getting started! I wanted to annihilate that goon!" Ethan growled, looking furious.

"Ew, I got dirt under my nails. That's like, totally disgusting," Kira complained as she studied her fingernails.

"Hey, where's Trent?" Connor wondered as he noticed that the White Ranger was gone.

"He started acting strangely, and ran off during the battle," Ari told them, her hands behind her back as she scanned their surroundings to ensure that they were alone. "We should go back, and find out just what that strange thing is," her green eyes settled on the rock for a moment.

"_Ari's right, come back_," Hayley spoke up. "_I've got some news about that space rock_," she told them, and there was a short silence before the three looked to each other.

"'Space rock'?" they repeated.

1-2-3-4-5

"It's actually a meteor fragment," Hayley explained as they stood at the computer, and she showed them the data that she had gathered.

"Fascinating," Connor folded his arms. "It must have broken off during some sort of intergalactic collision," he realised as he turned away, pacing. When he realised the other four were staring at him, he turned around. "What?" he asked, not understanding why they were staring.

"I'm just afraid coming in such close proximity to it might have some strange side effects," Hayley told the four. "Do you guys feel ok?" she asked them, looking from one to another.

"Well I for one, am going home," Kira decided, not answering the question. "If I don't soak my cuticles in an aloe bath, my nails will _never _grow out," she looked horrified at the thought.

"I gotta hit the gym! I need to work on my pecs!" Ethan commented as he tried to flex.

"I wanna get home to watch that documentary on the great pyramids," Connor decided. "Looks fascinating!" he smiled brightly, looking excited.

"And I should get in some training before that monster decides to return. I must be prepared for the next battle," Ari decided. "Until tomorrow Hayley," she smiled pleasantly at the genius, which seemed completely different to her normal bright and goofy smile. The four then headed off home as Hayley watched with worry.

1-2-3-4-5

The next morning, Ari arrived back in the lab shortly after Ethan. While the Blue Ranger now wore training gear and was training with weights in his hands, Ari was now wearing full-length black linen trousers and a gold tshirt, both of which would make moving during battle easier. Hayley studied her with wide eyes, never having seen the tomboy wear anything like it.

"Good morning Hayley, Ethan," she bowed her head to the pair. Ethan just grunted at her, focused on his training.

"Where's Kira? Don't you two normally come in together?" Hayley asked her curiously. Since Ari was living with Kira for the year, the pair usually arrived together, unless it was later in the day and Ari had been out on her skateboard. "And where's your board for that matter?" she asked when she noticed that Ari was without her prized board. Ari scowled.

"_Kira _is off shopping," she rolled her eyes. "I told her that she was being irresponsible, that we have obligations, but she ignored me!" Ari exclaimed, looking irritated. "Nothing is more important than what we're doing right now, and she should be getting ready for the next battle!" she ranted furiously. "As for my _board_, I have decided to leave my hobbies until after we free Doctor Oliver from his prison, and defeat Mesogog," she continued. Hayley just blinked several times at the girl, before turning away, not knowing what to say to the very serious girl.

"Ethan, are you sure you're ok?" she decided to try Ethan next.

"Oh yeah!" the Blue Ranger grinned, not looking up. "I am pumped, and ready to rock!" he exclaimed.

"That's the sort of attitude that a Power Ranger should have," Ari nodded in approval.

"Good morning all," Connor greeted as he walked in. He wore a pair of glasses, and a grey blazer over his buttoned red shirt, and his hair was gelled out of his face. "The weather is particularly pleasant today," he told them with a smile. "Excessively low humidity," he smiled at them as Hayley stared at the boy who was once the very definition of a jock.

"Whatever bro," Ethan rolled his eyes. "How do my arms look? I looked ripped or what?" he looked down at his bare arms. When they heard heels clicking off the stone floor, they looked around at Kira.

"Good morning Kira," Connor smiled at the Yellow Ranger, who wore a yellow dress, and had several bags on her arms.

"Hello, sorry I'm late," she smiled at them. "There was a sale and I just...well, you understand," she chuckled.

"No, we do not 'understand'," Ari stood in front of the older girl, folding her arms and looking stern. "This isn't chess club Kira-"

"Thank goodness for that," Ethan grunted, resuming what he was doing.

"You can't just do whatever you want. The fate of the world is in the balance, and we are the only ones who can protect it," Kira rolled her eyes at Ari's lecture. Hayley just stared at the sight of the rarely serious girl telling off her friend. "We must be ready at a moments notice to-"

"Yeah yeah, I know," Kira flounced past her, and Ari scowled.

"Hey, you guys think I'm ready for the Iron Man competition?" Ethan asked before the Gold Ranger could continue.

"Ok, there were definitely side effects from you being exposed to the meteor," Hayley determined. "We need to destroy that rock, and get you guys back to normal," she told them, and they all looked confused.

"Side effects?" Connor frowned at her. "I find that highly improbable," he told her, shaking his head. Ethan nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I feel like I can kick Mesogog's butt myself," he spoke up, before the alarm went off again.

"That's gonna have to wait. Look who's back," Hayley frowned as the monster chased away screaming people. The four frowned, and dropped what they were holding.

"Ready?" Connor asked.

"Ready!" their morphers changed and they activated them.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed once again, headed out to fight.

1-2-3-4-5

The rampaging monster used his powers to blow up everything in sight, narrowly missing civilians as they ran away crying out in fear.

"Let's devise a strategy of attack," Connor suggested as the Rangers arrived, landing behind the monster.

"Good idea Connor, that way we can take out this foul creature quickly and efficiently," Ari nodded in approval. "If we-"

"I got a strategy! We crush em!" Ethan declared, interrupting Ari.

"The lines on my suit are so completely wrong," Kira sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Why doesn't any make superhero costumes for petite?" she complained.

"Ignoring Kira's blatant disregard for the real reason for the suit, Ethan, that is not an suitable strategy," Ari told the Blue Ranger, folding her arms at him. "If we charge in headfirst without any idea of what we are doing, we will get ourselves killed," she told him.

"Colourful earthlings! Prepare to be destroyed!" the monster finally noticed their presence and turned to face them. He blasted Connor off his feet.

"That was totally uncalled for!" the Red Ranger yelled at him. "Kira, a hand?" he looked up at the Yellow Ranger.

"I just know I'm gonna have the _worst _helmet-hair after this," Kira groaned, completely ignoring him. She, Ethan and Ari were blasted off their feet as well, crying out.

"You're no match for me, silly suckers!" he laughed loudly at them. "Later posers!" before they could stop him, the monster disappeared through an Invisportal.

"I told you, we should have thought this out!" Connor yelled as the four got to their feet.

"In my business, you go big, or you go home!" Ethan growled at him.

"And that is the quickest way to getting yourself hurt!" Ari told him, facing the Blue Ranger. "You need to take this _seriously_, Ethan!" she exclaimed.

"Do you ever relax Ari?" Kira rolled her eyes at the Gold Ranger. "You need to stop taking everything so seriously!" she told her.

"I'll relax when the evil is gone!" Ari snapped at her.

"What_ever_. I'm going to the mall," Kira walked off.

"Have fun," Connor growled, going off in another direction.

"Later," Ethan walked away too.

"Does anyone take this stuff seriously any more?" Ari complained, but walked off as well, away from her team.

1-2-3-4-5

After going for a run, Ari made her way to Hayley's Cyberspace to take a break before continuing her workout. As she walked in, she was greeted by loud music and a group of screaming girls as Devin danced on stage, apparently now incredibly desirable. Ari just quirked an eyebrow and took a seat at the counter beside Connor.

"Where have you been?" the Red Ranger smiled at her as he looked up from his book.

"Training. I want to be ready when that rampaging monster returns," Ari told him, and he nodded. They both looked down at their morphers when they beeped, and frowned.

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"Hey guys," Hayley greeted as the four walked down into the lab.

"What now? I was having a super intense workout!" Ethan told her, irritated. Hayley rolled her eyes as she turned to face them.

"And I was right in the middle of a very compelling biography," Connor spoke up.

"Is this gonna involve dirt?" Kira asked as a thought came to mind. "Cause if it does, I'm gonna have to say 'uh-uh'," she told the red-haired genius.

"This better be important Hayley, I was in the middle of my training regime. I need to be ready to battle this monster," Ari folded her arms at her boss. Hayley sighed heavily at their attitudes.

"Sorry I interrupted your busy day," she snapped, finally having had enough of their snotty attitudes towards her. "I just thought you might like to know I think I've found a way to unfossilise Doctor Oliver," she growled at them. Their frowns immediately were wiped from their faces.

"Really?" their hope was evident in their expressions.

"The meteor fragment," Hayley told them, smiling softly. "My theory is that it frees your inner self. That's why you guys are acting so weird," they looked mildly insulted at her words.

"Of course!" Connor exclaimed as the realisation hit him. "If you could harness its power, you could free Doctor Oliver from the inside out!" he summed up for the others.

"I already gathered that, for the record," Ari spoke up.

"Although I do take offence at being called weird," Connor added, ignoring Ari's words.

"Sorry. You're not being weird. It's just that the rock is allowing you to show a side of yourself that you don't usually show," Hayley explained with an apologetic smile.

"A recessive personality trait!" Connor realised.

"You could say that," Hayley nodded.

"So you're saying that Connor had the potential to become a genius bookworm?" Ari asked, tilting her head a little. "And Kira incredibly girly and obsessed with shopping?" she glanced to Kira, who shrugged.

"Exactly," Hayley confirmed, smiling a little. "It's the same with how Ethan is athletic, even competitive now. And why you've been so driven. You have a serious side that makes you want to focus on defeating your enemy and keeping the world safe," she smiled at the Gold Ranger, who blinked several times.

"Well that explains why my mom was like, super happy yesterday. I've never asked to go shopping with her before," Kira commented.

"And why my dad practically threw all his old training gear at me," Ethan nodded. "What about you?" he looked to Connor and Ari.

"My mother has always been the smart one of my family," Connor told him, and glanced to Ari. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"I don't know," she muttered, avoiding their looks.

"What? How can you not know?" Ethan frowned at her. "Unless you're adopted or something...oh," he realised as she said it. Ari didn't speak.

"Wait a second," Kira spoke before the awkward silence could fall. "That must be why Trent helped us!" she realised, looking at them quickly. "There's still a part of him that's really good!" she smiled as even more hope shone in her eyes.

"I still don't really understand all this," Ethan shrugged.

"You don't have to," Hayley told him gently. "For now, just pull it together as a team. Trust me," she pleaded with them with a smile.

"That sounds logical," Connor nodded, putting a hand on Ari's shoulder.

"Alright, here's what I need you to do," Hayley began, before the alarm went off and they groaned. "Oh, again?" she sighed as the monster showed up on screen again. "First things first," she smiled, and once again their dropped their things.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed and hurried off to battle.

1-2-3-4-5

"Being bad feels really good!" the monster laughed, only to be blasted from behind.

"Hey mutant!" the Rangers stood together as they faced him.

"Not you again!" the monster groaned as he turned around.

"Thunder Max Sabre!" Connor called on his sword. He leapt through the air, and with a few powerful strikes, he knocked the monster back. "Most excellent," the Red Ranger grinned under his helmet.

"I got something for you too!" Ethan smirked.

"Wow! Leave something for me!" Kira laughed, bouncing excitedly.

"Me too," Ari smiled. They leapt into the air, and the three landed kicks to the monsters front. He flew backwards, hitting the ground hard and crying out in pain.

"Altogether now!" Kira smiled as they drew their blasters and aimed at him. As soon as he got up, they blasted him, but as he staggered, he blasted them back, and they cried out.

"This creature leaves us no choice," Connor growled as they recovered from the hit. "Super Dino Mode!" all four called on their greater power, allowing their suits to change. They ran at the monster, too fast for his attacks, and leapt into the air. While Kira and Ethan grabbed him, Ari and Connor kicked him again, and Kira and Ethan knocked him down with kicks of their own.

"Excellent!" Ari smiled as they regrouped.

"Let's put them together!" Ethan called. They summoned their weapons, and combined them.

"Z-Rex Blaster!" they aimed their combined weapon at the monster. "Fire!" they fired the powerful blast, and destroyed him.

"We rock!"

"So fabulous!"

"Great work team," Connor smiled, before the monster reappeared, becoming much larger.

"I'm big, and I'm back!" the monster declared as he towered over them.

"It's Zord time!" Connor called, and they summoned their Megazord, along with the Ankylozord.

"Take this!" the monster fired another blast.

"No thank you, have it back!" Ari yelled, and they lifted their arm with the Ankylozord. The shield began to spin, and caught the blast. It reflected it back on the monster, and he stumbled back.

"That did it!" Ethan laughed, but the monster quickly recovered.

"Catch ya on the flipside!" he roared, running off. The Megazord ran after it, but another suddenly blocked the monster's path.

"Going somewhere?" Trent called from inside his Megazord.

"It's Trent! He came to help us!" Kira smiled brightly. Trent called on his Megazord's power, instantly flooring the monster, and as he got back up, the Rangers finished him off in one blow.

"I'm outta here," Trent decided, walking off and disappearing before they could stop him.

1-2-3-4-5

After leaving the battle, the four Rangers rode towards where the meteor fragment was.

"Ok guys, lasers on full power!" Connor called as they revved their engines and sped towards it on their bikes. They leapt into the air, and blasted the meteor, breaking it into shards. "Power down," the Rangers demorphed as they climbed off their bikes, and ran over to it.

"You think this will work?" Kira asked as Ethan lifted a piece.

"The components should still have enough residual powers that can help Doctor O," Ethan told her.

"How do you know this stuff?" Connor frowned at him.

"It's called education," Ethan smirked at him.

"Hey, that was totally harsh, and totally you!" Ari giggled.

"Hey, it was!" Ethan grinned as he realised that he was back to normal.

"Thank you," Kira told him, sounding relieved. "One more second at a shopping mall..." she trailed off, looking horrified as Ari giggled.

"Let's get this rock back to the lab," Connor told them, and they nodded.

1-2-3-4-5

"I assume you're feeling back to normal?" Hayley smiled, looking a little amused as the Rangers returned to the lab.

"Thank goodness," Ethan nodded as Kira handed over the fragment.

"I hear that," Connor agreed.

"Same here. I can't believe what I was wearing," Ari looked horrified at her wardrobe choice. All of them had changed back to their normal attire.

"You and me both," Kira looked equally horrified at her own choice of clothing. "Hey, since the meteor changed Trent to good, couldn't we use it to fight the effects of the Dino Gem?" she realised, turning to Hayley.

"That might work, but let's try this first," Hayley inserted the fragment into a machine as they gathered around. All of them held their breaths as they watched her activate the machine, and after a moment, the amber began to dissolve. The machine suddenly exploded, making them all jump.

"The rock!" Kira cried out in horror as she looked at it. "It's fried..." tears stung at her eyes.

"Yeah, but look," Connor pointed at Doctor Oliver.

"It worked!" Hayley smiled as Doctor Oliver staggered a little bit, freed from his prison.

"Doctor O!" they ran over to him, grinning in relief.

"Good job guys!" Doctor Oliver nodded at them. "Power down!" he made to demorph, but nothing happened. Their smiles slowly faded as they watched him. "I said, power down!" he tried again, but he still remained in his suit. "I think we might have a problem," he gulped, and Hayley sighed. Her work wasn't done yet.

* * *

**I had quite a lot of fun writing Ari's character in this chapter, even if she was a bit of a dick.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	13. Burning At Both Ends

Chapter 13: Burning At Both Ends

The group gathered in Doctor Oliver's lab was silent as they watched the Black Ranger attempt to demorph after finally being released from his amber prison.

"Doctor O..." Kira finally broke the silence. "I know the suit looks good and all...but quit kidding around," she told him, her worry evident in her voice.

"I wish I could Kira," their teacher shook his head. "When Trent froze me in that amber, somehow my Dino Gem and my morpher must have remolecularised," he frowned as he walked past them, staring down at his morpher.

"Wait, you know that the White Ranger is Trent?" Ari tilted her head as she turned to him.

"Yeah, he morphed in front of me," he nodded.

"So why can't Doctor O demorph?" Connor asked, looking at Hayley with a frown.

"He's stuck," she summed up for him. "And speaking of Trent, looks like he's up to no good again," she groaned as she saw the computer screen flash, and Trent's Megazord moved through the city.

"Oh come on! We just had a super weird day and an intense battle!" Ari moaned.

"I am so _over _that poser!" Connor growled.

"Go, I'll see what we can figure out here," Doctor Oliver told them. They nodded, and called on their morphers.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed and called on their Raptor Riders, heading out to the battle. They fired their blasters up at the Megazord, earning Trent's attention.

"Come on guys!" Connor urged on his friends as they stopped in front of the Megazord and called up to Trent. "That's enough!" the Red Ranger yelled up at him.

"I'm just getting started," the White Ranger replied, laughing.

"It's Zord time!" Connor shouted, and they called on their Zords, combining them to make their Megazord, along with the Parasaur Zord.

"Make your move," Trent challenged.

"Now what's he up to?" Ethan frowned, immediately sensing that something was up.

"I don't know, but we have to stop him," Kira sighed.

"I really don't like this. It feels like a trap or something," Ari told the others.

"I hate to do this to you. Nothing personal," a large chain suddenly wrapped around the Megazord, stopping them from moving.

"We need Dinozord help!" Connor cried as they struggled to break free. They called on the Cephalazord and the Dimetrozord, but as they went to free the Megazord, Trent called on more of his power, and trapped them in massive barrels. "What?!" Connor stared at their trapped Zords. "Our Dinozords! Let them go!" he yelled at Trent.

"Sorry. Not gonna happen," Trent replied calmly, not sounding very apologetic.

"Trent, you've gotta stop this! You're out of control!" Kira pleaded with the White Ranger.

"Looks more like I'm in control," Trent just smirked back.

"What's he gonna do with them?" Ethan questioned.

"I don't know, but considering he already took the Stego, it can't be good," Ari gulped, before Trent blasted them. When they recovered and looked up, they found that Trent had disappeared, and had taken their Zords with him.

1-2-3-4-5

"What's the situation Hayley?" the Black Ranger asked as he watched the genius work on trying to free their Dino Zords.

"It's no good," she huffed as the four teens walked up behind them. "He's got them in a force-field," she told them as it flashed black.

"It's not Trent's fault," Kira insisted sadly, looking to her friends. Ethan scoffed. "The Gem is making him this way!" she told them.

"I don't care whose fault it is," Connor snarled furiously. "We find a way to deal with him, or things are gonna get ugly," he pointed out.

"But we can't..." Ari spoke softly, tears stinging at her eyes.

"Slow down. I was in his shoes once," Doctor Oliver reminded them. "And I wouldn't be here today if my friends had given up on me," he looked down as they were quiet.

"Doctor O is right," Ari nodded, and they looked at her. "It's the same with Hunter and Blake. If we'd given up on them, we'd never have defeated Lothor," she told them.

"Ok, so we don't give up yet," Ethan nodded. "But what do we do?" he asked.

"Go back to school. Keep a low profile," Doctor Oliver instructed, and they all instantly groaned. "Hayley and I will let you know if anything changes," he told them, and with heavy sighs, the Rangers left the lab.

1-2-3-4-5

Meeting up with Ethan as they made their way into school, Kira and Ari walked with him, as Ari carried her board and unclipped her helmet.

"Hey you three!" they jumped and looked around as Principal Randall barked at them. "I got an email from that science teacher of yours. He's claiming to be too sick to work," she told them as they walked over to her.

"Now that you mention it, he really didn't seem himself last time I saw him," Kira shrugged, trying to look concerned. Ethan and Ari nodded quickly.

"Well, I'd better not find out he's faking it, or he can kiss his job goodbye," she warned them coldly. She then walked off, and Ari shivered.

"Did it suddenly drop like 20 degrees?" she rubbed her bare arms.

"A model of warmth and sympathy," Kira sighed, before they spotted Connor indicating to them from the pitch. "What's up?" she asked as they walked over.

"It's Trent," he told them, and they looked down the bleachers to see the White Ranger sitting looking at his hands.

"Now I know you're crazy," Ethan frowned as they climbed over the side.

"I know dude, but check it out," Connor told them as they walked down towards Trent. "He's reformed," he said as he grabbed his bag.

"Really?" Kira couldn't keep the hope out of her voice. "Trent? Are you in there?" the Yellow Ranger stood over him as he looked up.

"Hey, it's really me," he smiled, looking exhausted. Ari hung back, watching him suspiciously.

"One of Mesogog's monster attacks backfired," Connor explained.

"Think it released the Dino Gem's hold," Trent nodded.

"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Ethan frowned.

"I hear that," Ari agreed, keeping her distance.

"Guys look, I'm really sorry for everything I've done to you," Trent told them, looking guilty. "You gotta believe it wasn't me. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..." he looked up at them.

"How about returning our Zords for starts?" Ethan asked, and Trent laughed softly, nodding.

"Meet me in the warehouse district this afternoon," he told them. "I'll give you back your Zords. And I might have a little peace offering as well," he smiled at them, and the older three smiled, liking this idea.

"Why not return them now?" Ari asked, and they all looked up at her in surprise. "Why wait? You know that makes it sound like a trap right?" she spoke, suspicion in her expression.

"Ari," Kira frowned at her.

"I'm right, aren't I?" she looked at her team-mates, and they found tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I want Trent to be ok as much as you guys, but this is too good to be true," she insisted, a bad feeling her stomach. "I mean, a backfire that breaks the Dino Gem's hold? Even Lothor never made such a stupid mistake, and he had a giant green idiot as a general!" she exclaimed.

"Lothor?" Trent frowned at her. "Who's Lothor?" he asked, and Ari froze. She'd completely forgotten that he didn't know.

"We'll explain later," Connor told him quickly. "We'll meet you after school," he told the White Ranger, and as Ari tried to protest, the bell rang, and Trent ran off. Ari's fists clenched, but as the others walked off, she was forced to follow, and wait until school was over.

1-2-3-4-5

Riding up on their bikes with Doctor Oliver on the back of Connor's, the Rangers spotted Trent already waiting in the warehouse. He sat on some crates, waiting for them with something hidden under a cover. He waved to them, smiling brightly as they stopped and dismounted.

"Hope you don't mind, I tagged along just in case," Doctor Oliver told the White Ranger as he stepped forwards. Like Ari, he was wary of Trent's story.

"Doctor Oliver, you're ok," Trent looked relieved as he shook the teacher's hand.

"More or less," he nodded.

"I hate to get right to the point, but I don't see any Zords around here," Ethan frowned, looking around as if he would see the giant Dino Zords.

"I thought we'd start with the peace offering I promised first," Trent smiled at him. He stepped back, and pulled the cover off what was hidden, to reveal a large black and gold ATV. "I figured you guys could use the help against Mesogog. Who wants to try it out?" he offered, leaning against the large vehicle.

"Make way!" Ethan laughed as he stepped forwards, but Doctor Oliver caught him.

"Sorry Ethan, I think it's better if I try it first," he told the Blue Ranger, who groaned.

"Aw man," he whined as Doctor Oliver walked over. They watched as their teacher sat down, studying it curiously. "Good work. 12 stroke engine?" he asked, and Ari frowned. She'd learned a lot from watching her friends work on their bikes, and she'd never heard of such a thing.

"Yeah, it sure is," Trent nodded, looking down at it too.

"They don't make 12 stroke engines Trent," Doctor Oliver looked up, frowning under his helmet. The White Ranger looked up suddenly, his smile warped into a twisted smirk.

"And Mesogog doesn't make monsters that turn people nice either," he told them with a small laugh. Before any of them could react, he'd kicked the back of the ATV, and it sped off, out of control.

"It's a trap!" Doctor Oliver cried out as the other Rangers leapt out of the way.

"What did I tell you?" Ari groaned as they turned to Trent.

"You'll pay for this!" Connor snarled at him. Not looking too threatened, Trent turned and whistled. Another ATV, white and black in colour, pulled up.

"No way!" Ethan groaned.

"Later suckers," Trent laughed, leaping into the air. He morphed, landing on his ATV, and sped off after Doctor Oliver.

"We gotta go after him!" Ari cried, and they ran after the White Ranger. However, a new monster and a crowd of Tyrannodrones appeared, blocking their path.

"Not so fast!" it laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ari groaned.

"You're not going anywhere!" the monster told them.

"Try and stop us!" Connor growled at him. "Come on guys," they hurried back over to their bikes and climbed on. Revving the engines, they sped around the warehouse, blasting Tyrannodrones out of their way. They had almost cleared the Tyrannodrones, when the monster blasted them, causing them to crash their bikes.

"Connor!" Ethan, Kira and Ari hurried over to their fallen friend.

"Are you ok?" Kira asked as they helped him up.

"Yeah, but next time, lets listen to Ari," he suggested with a groan.

"Finally you realise that," the Gold Ranger couldn't help but laugh.

"Is that all you got?" the monster taunted, making them look over at him.

"Yeah right!" Kira scoffed. "Super Dino Mode!" the four called on their powers, and attacked again.

"Super what?!" the monster was suddenly alarmed at their new power. "Attack!" he barked to the remaining Tyrannodrones as they all ran at them. While Connor focused on the monster, the other three fought off the Tyrannodrones. Flipping through the air, Ari caught the monsters with the spikes on her legs, spinning and cutting across their fronts. She then caught more with the spikes on her arms, easily taking them out.

"Their bikes are history! We're through here!" the monster declared when he found that he was the only one left. "Bye!" before he could run off, Doctor Oliver flew into the warehouse on the ATV, blasting the monster and making him cry out.

"Go Doctor O!" Connor laughed as they watched. He skidded to a stop, and climbed off, a little unsteady at first.

"Talk about a wild ride," he commented as they faced the monster.

"Glad you're ok," Kira smiled.

"Later days!" the monster disappeared before they could stop him, and Trent swerved to a stop.

"I see my friends have been keeping you busy," he commented as he glanced over at them and climbed off his ATV. "Someone's been careless with their toys," Trent smirked as he looked at their damaged bikes.

"You're making a mistake Trent," Doctor Oliver warned him. "Don't trust Mesogog," he said.

"Who says I do?" Trent snapped back at him. "I got what I wanted. Goodbye Rangers," he turned to walk away.

"What about our Zords?" Ethan yelled at him.

"Say goodbye to them too," with a laugh, he climbed back onto his ATV.

"Trent, don't do this!" Doctor Oliver pleaded with him, but Trent just revved the engine and spun around.

"I'm outta here," he told them, speeding off as they watched.

1-2-3-4-5

"Can we go over this again?" standing in the lab as Hayley studied the damage to their bikes, the Rangers went over everything that had happened again. "Trent made a deal with Mesogog, pretending to let Insectolite turn him back into himself, as a way of tricking us into taking the rigged ATV?" Connor looked over to the others, disbelief and hurt in his eyes.

"I can't believe he made a deal with Mesogog," Kira spoke sadly. "That is a new low," she sighed.

"And risky. Trent was supposed to beat us," Ethan reminded them. "Mesogog's not gonna be happy," he shook his head, glad he wasn't the White Ranger right now.

"I don't think he ever intended on fulfilling his end of the deal," Ari commented softly, standing beside Ethan. "He's made it abundantly clear he doesn't want anything to do with Mesogog. But not only did he not destroy us, but Doctor Oliver made the ATV work for him," she pointed out. "Mesogog is going to go after him," the Gold Ranger sighed.

"Lighting the candle at both ends? He's bound to get burned," Doctor Oliver shook his head.

"And I think I know how to get the fire going," Hayley turned, smiling at them. "The ray used by Insectollite destroyed your energy shields. I bet if you could get that creep to aim his energy buster at the Zords..."

"We could break through Trent's shield around them!" Kira realised, and Hayley nodded.

"Ok, small problem: how's Trent gonna feel about all this?" Ethan reminded them that they had more than one enemy to deal with.

"Every trap needs its bait," Hayley smirked.

1-2-3-4-5

Searching the last place Trent had been seen, the five Rangers looked around, calling out for him.

"Trent?"

"We gotta talk bro!" Connor called.

"Trent!" Ethan yelled as they looked around.

"You made a deal with Mesogog. Now it's time you made one with us," Doctor Oliver said. They looked around quickly when the White Ranger appeared from behind a crate. Before they could think of what to say, Trent ran at them, attacking them with much greater speed.

"You wanted to see me?" Trent asked as he grabbed Connor.

"We wanted to make a little deal of our own," the Red Ranger growled at him.

"I don't make deals with posers," Trent smirked.

"Take that back!" Connor snarled, and attacked him. Trent dodged his attacks, and leapt up onto higher ground.

"You just won't learn, will you?" he asked as he balanced his sword on his shoulder.

"Learn what?" Connor asked as the others ran over to him.

"The White Ranger _always _wins," he told them, before disappearing in a flash of light. No sooner had he done so, did their morphers beep loudly.

"Go," Doctor Oliver answered as they looked around.

"_It's working. The monster is back on the other side of the warehouse_," Hayley told them.

"Got it," the Black Ranger nodded, looking up at the others.

"Come on!" Connor called, and they ran off. Making their way to the other side of the warehouse, they spotted the monster. "There he is!" he pointed to the monster, who screeched and spun around.

"Out of my way!" Insectollite barked at them. "I've been sent to get the White one!" he told them as they fell into fighting stances.

"Well too bad, you've got us!" Ari called. They ran at the monster and attacked, working together to throw him about. They called on their sabres, only to be instantly knocked off their feet.

"Brachio Staff, energy orb!" Doctor Oliver called, calling on his power. "You're going down!" he threw the blast, and Insectollite screamed in pain as it slammed into him.

"Let's help him out guys!" Connor told the other three. "Tyranno Staff!"

"Tricera Shield!"

"Ptera Grips!"

"Plesio Blades!" they attacked the monster with their weapons, and Ethan lifted him into the air with his shield.

"Going for a spin?" he laughed as he spun the monster around.

"Put me down!" Insectrollite cried out, and was tossed aside. Ari leapt into the air, spinning and hitting him with her swords, throwing him into a wall.

"That got him," Ethan laughed.

"Yeah. Help me load him up," Doctor Oliver instructed. They nodded, and ran over to Insectollite to restrain him.

1-2-3-4-5

"Come on, we don't have much time!" Ari called as they rushed towards where the Dino Zords were being kept. The sun was setting, and they heard the cries of their Zords echo through the air. By the time they reached the forcefield, the sun had set.

"Ah! Let me go!" the monster on the back of Doctor Oliver's ATV cried out.

"This is your cue Insectollite," Doctor Oliver yanked him up. "Go on, do it!" he ordered, but as the monster went to blast the forcefield, another attack slammed into the monster, making him scream as he was destroyed.

"You're too late," Trent mocked. "See ya," with a wave of his dagger, Trent caused a massive explosion where the Dino Zords were.

"No!"

"Come on!" they jumped from their Raptor Riders and ran towards their Zords as the forcefield was destroyed.

"It can't be," Doctor Oliver was horrified as the smoke cleared. Then, loud roars filled their air, and the Zords emerged.

"Yo! Check it out!" Ethan gave an amazed laugh.

"They survived!" Connor grinned, and the ground began to shake. They looked around as Trent's Megazord approached, and suddenly disconnected its arms. The two Dino Zords attached, and the Rangers cried out in horror. "Our Zords! They switched teams!" Connor realised.

"Another trick," Doctor Oliver growled.

"I thought they would make a nice addition to my collection," Trent shrugged casually.

"No way!" Kira cried out.

"I am so over this!" Ari moaned as she put her hands to her helmet.

"The starfish device was just to reprogram them to obey me," the White Ranger explained, smirking under his helmet.

"You're not gonna get away with this," Doctor Oliver growled, just as angry as the other four. "Brachio!" he summoned his Zord, along with the other four. They combined, and faced off against Trent.

"Let's make him pay!" Connor called to his friends.

"You can't afford it!" Trent mocked. He attacked them with his punching attack, and as they cried out, he switched to the Dimetrozord's saw attack. The Rangers were thrown about as their Megazord crashed to the ground, and they groaned in pain.

"With our Zords, he's too powerful!" Kira groaned.

"Now you're beginning to get it," Trent smirked. "Why don't you just surrender the rest of your Zords to me?" he asked mockingly.

"Like we'll ever do that!" Ari yelled at him.

"Yeah, you've got to be crazier than I thought," Connor nodded as the Megazord rolled onto its back.

"Then I'll take them," Trent decided. He held up his saw again, but as he went to deliver a final strike on them, something hit him from behind.

"I'm back!" Insectollite laughed as Trent looked around.

"Out of my way, insect," the White Ranger growled. "Drago Winger, Strike Mode!" he called on his weapon, and blasted the monster, destroying it instantly. "Another day Rangers," he promised, disappearing in white lights.

1-2-3-4-5

Sitting in the lab on the ATV, all four of the Rangers barely moved, dejected over their latest defeat against the White Ranger.

"Trent has got some nerve," Kira sighed.

"Why can't he just give up?" Ethan complained.

"That would be good," Ari mumbled as she leaned back on the ATV.

"Good thing I never give up," Hayley commented as she walked over, cleaning her hands on a rag. "Your bikes are fixed," she told them. They all immediately thanked her, relieved. "Just _don't _do it again, ok?" she frowned at them sternly, and they nodded. "And as an added bonus, I reprogrammed the ATV. That should come in handy," she added.

"We're gonna need all the help we can get," they looked up at Doctor Oliver. "If Trent and Mesogog team up for good, we're gonna have a real battle on our hands," he told them, and they all sighed, hoping that Trent would remain stubborn and refuse to join Mesogog before they could free him.

* * *

**Almost finished writing this fic, just a little bit left of the final chapter, my god...**

**Hope you liked this chapter anyway!**

**Please review!**


	14. The Missing Bone

Chapter 14: The Missing Bone

As the bell rang, signalling the start of class, Connor, Kira, Ethan and Ari walked up together.

"You guys heard from Trent yet?" Connor asked as they moved around the crowds of students.

"No, I'm not sure I really want to," Kira told him with a frown.

"Not right now at least. I could do with a day where we don't get our asses handed to us by him," Ari yawned, still not sleeping right. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to until they turned Trent good again.

"We gotta make sure he doesn't go off on some poor freshman cause the kid won't give him his lunch money," Ethan shook his head, looking worried.

"You know what? I think he's after a little more than a free grilled cheese," Connor rolled his eyes.

"And when we know what that is, maybe we can deal," Kira shrugged. "But till then, we keep an eye on him," she said to her friends, and Ari groaned as they walked into their classroom, unaware that Trent was listening to every word they said.

1-2-3-4-5

As they waited for their substitute teacher to show up, the class of teenagers entertained themselves. While Ethan and Connor tossed paper balls into Devin's camera bag, Kira wrote down lyrics to a new song she was writing, and Ari dozed at the table. Trent was just rolling his eyes, sitting at the same table as the four.

"Hey, did you guys hear we're supposed to get a new teacher today?" Ethan asked as he tossed another ball into the bag.

"After Ari chased off that last substitute teacher, I am not surprised," Connor smirked, and Ari looked up, yawning widely.

"What did I do?" she asked.

"You know, when you slept through the entire class for the third time that week and when the teacher woke you, you corrected his work when he tried to ask you questions?" Connor smirked at her, and Ari giggled. She hadn't meant to, it had been a completely honest intention, but when she had interrupted his lecturing to tell him this and the entire class had burst out laughing, the teacher had walked out.

"Wonder who it could be," Ari mumbled as she closed her eyes again.

"Well I heard from a very reliable source, that it's this 80 year old woman who used to teach kindergarten in San Angeles," Cassidy spoke up as she stood at their table.

"Really?" Connor looked unconvinced by her words, and the door opened. They looked up as Principal Randall walked in, looking down her nose at them as always.

"Good morning class," she greeted as everyone quickly took their seats. "I would like you to meet your new teacher, Doctor Anton Mercer," all five of the Rangers sitting at the table looked up instantly, their eyes wide as the man walked in.

"Morning class," he greeted them with a pleasant smile.

"Wow, that's one good looking 80 year old woman," Ari commented with a wide yawn. Devin burst out laughing, and Cassidy slapped his arm, scowling at him.

"What? I thought it was funny!" he defended with wide eyes.

"Doctor Mercer has graciously agreed to take over until your teacher gets back on his feet, since the last substitute you had quit," Randall levelled a glare at Ari, who just looked innocent as Kira, Ethan and Connor sniggered. "I would like you to treat him with the same respect that you would treat Doctor Oliver," Randall told them.

"Thank you," Doctor Mercer smiled at her as she walked off.

"Well, let me start by saying how honoured I am to be here," he told them. "What I'm handing out to you now are permission slips. These are for your parents and guardians to sign," the teacher explained as he passed out pieces of paper. "We'll be going on a field trip tomorrow, to a museum," Doctor Mercer explained. "I trust you will all be able to make it."

1-2-3-4-5

"Anton Mercer teaching other people's children?" Kira rolled her eyes as they walked away from school that afternoon. "He doesn't even like his own from what I can tell," she grumbled.

"At least not the Trent we liked," Ari sighed.

"Yeah, I wonder whose brilliant idea this whole thing was," Ethan frowned.

"Gotta be Randall's," Kira told him. She looked mildly disgusted. "Did you see them together? It's like they're old pals," she shivered at the thought.

"Hey, no matter how bad we've got it, there's always someone who's got it worse," Connor spoke up, gesturing over at where Trent and his father were arguing loudly. Trent stormed off, and Doctor Mercer yelled after him.

"Huh. What are you guys doing now?" Kira asked.

"Soccer."

"I'm heading to the skatepark, wanna get some practice in," Ari shrugged.

"Computer club. You?" Ethan asked the Yellow Ranger.

"I promised Doctor O that I'd help him inventory some stuff in the lab," she told them with a small smile. "Plus, he'd probably wanna know who's teaching his class," she pointed out.

"Yeah...I wonder what he'd have to say about that," Connor frowned, and with quick goodbyes, the four headed off in different directions.

1-2-3-4-5

Focusing entirely on what she was doing and allowing herself a rare moment where she wasn't having to worry about the White Ranger or Mesogog, Ari flew into the air on her board, spinning several times before returning to earth. She rolled away from the ramp and over to where she had left her backpack, grabbing her water from it. As she downed half the contents, she heard someone approach her from behind, and turned around.

"Hey Ari," she froze, her eyes wide as Trent smirked at her.

"What do you want?" she asked softly, watching as he walked around her.

"Just to talk," he spoke lightly, seeming to be enjoying her reaction. "That's an interesting keyring," Trent walked past and reached down to play with what was actually the symbol of a Sun Ninja, and was an emergency communication device to communicate with the other Ninja Rangers.

"It was a present," Ari kept her voice steady as she watched him flick it with his finger.

"So I hear you have powers that aren't connected to your Gem," Trent straightened up and faced the Gold Ranger, who didn't react. "You really are weird, aren't you?" he chuckled as he circled her again.

"So is that what you came here for? Because you should know, I don't have a clue about those powers. I can't control them," Ari told him warily, and he gave a small chuckle.

"No, that's not why I'm here," Trent noticed her visibly relax a little bit. "I'm here to see if I can convince you to give up your Zords," Ari's soft features finally scrunched up into a scowl.

"You're dreaming Trent," she growled at him.

"Such hostility," the White Ranger chuckled. "It's too bad. If you won't hand over the rest of your Zords, I'll just have to destroy you and take them by force!" he lunged at Ari, who let out a startled cry. Golden light slammed into Trent before he could grab her, and he was thrown backwards. "Now that _is _a fascinating power," the White Ranger chuckled as he pushed himself up, a hand on his chest as blood trickled down his face.

"Evil never wins Trent, you should just give up," Ari told him, sounding braver than she felt. Trent just laughed and leaned closer.

"There's a first time for everything," he told her quietly, before turning and walking off. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Don't forget to get that permission slip signed for the museum trip," he laughed, and Ari sank to the ground, trying to stop her shaking.

1-2-3-4-5

The next morning arrived and the class arrived at the museum, ready for their trip.

"Alright, come along now," Doctor Mercer called. "We don't want to keep our prehistoric friends waiting," he smiled as he led the way inside.

"Hey Ari? Are you ok?" Connor asked, noticing how exhausted the girl looked.

"Fine..." she mumbled, but it was clear she wasn't. Trent walked past, shooting her a smirk that only the Gold Ranger caught as the other three Rangers looked at her, and she shrugged. "I've just not been sleeping well lately. It's nothing," she insisted, pushing past the others to go inside. The three older Rangers exchanged worried looks, before following her inside.

1-2-3-4-5

"And just ahead here is the triceratops, from the Cretaceous period," Doctor Mercer told the group as they walked along. "Strictly herbivores. Hunted by the Tyrannosaurus Rex," Connor smirked at Ethan.

"Gotta love the T-Rex," he laughed to his friend.

"Whatever bro," Ethan rolled his eyes.

"And here is the Plesiosaurus, a Mesozoic marine reptile. With its flippers and flat body, it was able to swim on the surface of large bodies of water," Ari looked up tiredly as Doctor Mercer talked about her Dino. "It is believed that they were warm-blooded creatures, who bore live young," he continued.

"Your Dino sounds more like a mammal," Ethan laughed to Ari, who had stopped to study the information about the Plesiosaurus.

"Warm-blooded huh?" she spoke softly as she looked up at the fossil. Hearing growls nearby, she turned and frowned, her eyes scanning around the exhibits. Ari followed the sounds curiously.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ari jumped when Cassidy caught up to her.

"The bathroom," Ari told her. "Not feeling too good," she shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, you don't look too great," Cassidy surveyed her, looking mildly disgusted. "Well I'm going too, 'cause my lip-gloss is totally wearing off," she told the 16 year old.

"Cassidy, just stay here or we'll both get in trouble," Ari groaned.

"Whatever, I'm going to the little girls room, and you can do whatever you want," the blonde rolled her eyes and walked off. Ari sighed, before ducking out of view as Doctor Mercer spotted Cassidy and pulled her away. The Gold Ranger continued to follow the strange noises, and opened the door of a storage room. She crept inside, shutting the door behind her, and continued to look around. As she walked around, something grabbed her from behind.

"Hey, lemme go!" she cried out, managing to escape the grasp of the attacking Tyrannodrone. She bombarded it with attacks and knocked it back, before more appeared. Reacting instantly, Ari grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled, revealing her ninja gear. Now able to fight more easily, she kicked and punched each of the reptile-like monsters that attacked her. However, there were too many for her, and they grabbed her, restraining her as they pulled her over to one of the shelves. "What are you doing? Stop!" Ari thrashed in their grip, but they were too strong. One of the skulls began to glow on the shelf, and she looked up.

"_Ari_..." a voice echoed in her head. "_You must listen to me. You will do as I command,_" it ordered as her eyes turned gold.

1-2-3-4-5

"Where is she?" having noticed that their friend was missing, Connor, Ethan and Kira had gone looking for Ari.

"There she is!" Connor spotted the Gold Ranger running down the corridor, back in her normal attire.

"Ari?" Kira frowned as the ran over to the girl as she put a hand to her head. "Are you ok? Where'd you go off to?" she asked her.

"I was looking for the bathroom. Got lost," Ari mumbled, shrugging.

"Lost?" Connor frowned at her.

"You know, when you don't know where you are?" Ari rolled her eyes as all three were taken aback by her snap. "I'm fine. Just splashed some water on my face. Is it time to go yet?" she demanded.

"Yeah, the trip's over," Ethan spoke quickly, alarmed.

"Finally. Let's go," Ari rolled her eyes and walked off.

1-2-3-4-5

Sitting in Hayley's Cyberspace, Ari read a book that had been assigned by Doctor Mercer at the bar, occasionally drinking the water sitting beside her.

"Hey Ari, you feeling any better?" Hayley smiled as she walked over.

"Fine. Just didn't get enough sleep," Ari's short response made Hayley's smile fade.

"Why aren't you sitting with your friends?" she asked, glancing over to the other three Rangers, who shrugged at her. Ari just huffed, turning the page as she rested her chin in her hand.

"Do I always have to sit with them?" she asked.

"Well no," Hayley managed a small laugh. "But you usually do, don't you?" she asked, watching the Gold Ranger carefully.

"Used to. I'd prefer just to be alone so I can read this with no distractions. It's the only way I can get this done for Doctor Mercer's class," Ari told her, and Hayley gave a small laugh.

"'I'll never get used to the sound of that. 'Doctor Mercer's class'?" she repeated.

"Hey, he's a great teacher!" Ari looked up sharply, frowning at Hayley. "That trip was really interesting, and his classes have been great. Way better than that sub we've had lately," she rolled her eyes.

"Ok...whatever you say Ari," Hayley backed away from the angry looking girl.

"Hey, you wanna go to a movie tonight?" Connor asked as he, Ethan and Kira approached her.

"No," was all Ari said as she turned the page of her book.

"You know, when someone doesn't wanna hang out with people, they usually come up with some sort of excuse," Connor frowned at the younger girl, who huffed again.

"I'm washing my hair. That good enough for you?" she rolled her eyes.

"Uh, no, not really," Kira spoke softly, a little hurt at Ari's cold attitude.

"Look, I just don't want to hang out with you guys any more than I have to," Ari rolled her eyes. "I mean let's face it, if it wasn't for a certain thing, none of us would be friends. So what's the big deal?" she then shoved her book into her bag. "Looks like I'm not going to get any work done here, so I'm off. Laters," with a wave over her shoulder, she walked off, leaving the three very confused as to what was going on.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari streaked through the forest, bouncing along until she reached the hidden entrance to Doctor Oliver's lab. Moving out of sight, she then activated the communication device on her morpher.

"Doctor O? It's Ari," she contacted their teacher.

"_Yeah? What's up Ari_?" Doctor Oliver responded quickly.

"I was out for a run, and I'm pretty sure I saw a dino egg," Ari told him. "I didn't wanna touch it just in case I set it off or damaged it, so I figured I'd contact you, and I gotta get back to Kira's to finish my homework," she told him innocently. "By the edge of the old forest by the lake, near the academy," she said.

"_I'm on my way_," Doctor Oliver told her.

"Thanks Doctor O," she smiled, and ducked behind the tree. Within moments, the entrance to the lab opened, and Doctor Oliver rode off on the ATV. Smirking, Ari ran inside before the doors closed again.

"_Now, finish the task_," Ari's eyes glowed golden again as she walked into the lab, hearing the voice order her. She spotted a case balanced on top of the machines, and her hand lit up as she called on her powers. She tossed the energy ball in her hand at the case, and it exploded on contact, breaking the padlock. With another smirk, she walked over and lifted the padlock off. "_Excellent, soon I will be complete_," the voice laughed as Ari opened the case and lifted the bone inside. "_Then I will rise again_."

"_Ari, it's me_," Doctor Oliver contacted her again. "_I couldn't find anything out here. Are you sure you saw something?_" he asked.

"I could have sworn I did Doctor O. Guess I must have been mistaken, I am pretty tired. Thanks for checking it out anyway," she replied quickly.

"_No problem_," he ended the communication, and with a laugh, Ari left the lab.

1-2-3-4-5

Returning to the museum, Ari made her way unnoticed by the security guards, back to the storage room where the skull had been. She opened the door, and walked in with a smirk, back in her ninja gear.

"I have returned, just as you commanded," she spoke softly as she approached the skull.

"_Good girl_," the voice praised her happily. "_Did you bring it_?" it asked, and she placed the bone on the shelf.

"Yes," she nodded.

"_Excellent_," lights began to fly around the shelf where the bones were gathered. And after a moment they disappeared, and reappeared, combined into a monster. "You have served your purpose!" Fossilador then blasted Ari, and she cried out, thrown through the air. She slammed into the wall, and fell to the ground with a groan.

"What...?" she mumbled, looking up, before she passed out.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari!" the Gold Ranger groaned as she was dragged back to the land of the conscious, and opened her eyes weakly. Hayley was crouched beside her. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Ari groaned. "What happened?" she asked, before it all came flooding back. "Oh no, I set that thing-"

"Are you ok to get up?" Hayley interrupted her before she could say anything.

"I think so," Ari pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing a little.

"Should I call a doctor?" the security guard asked as he stood beside Hayley.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Ari told him quickly, smiling at him. "I just forgot to eat this morning and passed out," she told him, and ran off before he could stop her.

"How did she even get in? Nobody saw anything!" she heard the security guard say as Hayley caught up to her.

"You definitely live up to the reputation of a ninja," Hayley commented, but Ari didn't reply.

"I can't believe I was responsible for bringing that thing to life!" she groaned, running a hand through her hair.

"It wasn't your fault," Hayley told her gently. "In your civilian form, you couldn't stop him from controlling your mind. Luckily the others' Ranger powers will protect them," she explained to Ari.

"But this other power...it should have helped. It's protected me against loads of other stuff!" Ari exclaimed, upset at herself for being so helpless.

"Well, you haven't been sleeping well," Hayley pointed out, and Ari looked over at her. "It's probably weakened you and made you more susceptible to things like this," she considered, and the Gold Ranger looked down, clenching her fists.

"I'm going to help the others," she decided.

"You sure?" Hayley asked her as they walked up the steps.

"That thing messed me about and made me say horrible things to you and the others. It's going to pay," Ari growled, taking off.

1-2-3-4-5

The three Rangers currently battling were thrown about in their Megazord as they attempted to fight Fossilador, and as they staggered back, a melodic whine filled the air.

"Hey, what's that?" Connor asked as he heard it. They looked up to see the Plesio Zord flying through the air, dodging attacks.

"Need some help?" Ari called from its head.

"Ari!" Kira smiled up at their friend.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" she morphed into her Golden suit, and combined her Plesio Zord with the rest of the Megazord.

"Megazord, online!" the Rangers faced off against Fossilador.

"Good timing Ari," Ethan grinned at her.

"Yeah, we could use the help," Connor nodded.

"Music to my ears," Ari giggled. "Now, let's take down this freak!" she cheered. They blasted the monster, but nothing they did would damage it in any way.

"Huh? No way!" Connor cried out, and they were blasted by a fog like jet shot from Fossilador's mouth. "That was just plain nasty!" the Red Ranger cried as they recovered.

"Guy's got some prehistoric breath!" Ethan nodded.

"I'm just getting started!" Fossilador declared as he ran at them. He attacked them, tossing them about.

"How do we beat this guy if we can't even damage him?" Kira cried out as they were thrown about the cockpit. Fossilador continued to laugh as he held onto the Megazord, continuing to damage it.

"_Ari, you gotta aim for the spot where you put the missing bone_!" Doctor Oliver called up to them. "_That's where he's most vulnerable_!" he told them.

"On it!" Ari nodded. "Lock on! Tyranno Drill!" they leapt into the air and slammed the spinning drill into Fossilador's weak spot. He cried out, and crashed to the ground, exploding.

1-2-3-4-5

"So glad you're back to normal Ari," Ethan grinned as they walked down into Doctor Oliver's lab. "You were really scary," he admitted. Ari managed a small smile.

"I'm really sorry for what I said to you guys. It was super harsh," she looked around at them, and they smiled back.

"Don't worry about it, seriously," Ethan insisted.

"Yeah, we know you'd never normally say that stuff," Kira nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, you're normally too busy laughing when the others say mean stuff," Connor grinned, and Ari looked down.

"You see? That would be one of those things you say from time to time," Ethan told the Red Ranger, who's grin faded.

"Oh right..." he nodded, and offered an apologetic smile to the Gold Ranger. "Sorry," he told her, and she smiled back at him.

"Don't worry about it. Now we're even," she told her friend. "There is one thing that's bugging me though," Ari commented as her smile fell.

"What's that?" Doctor Oliver asked as he glanced around at her.

"The museum where that thing was stored in, it's Doctor Mercer's isn't it?" she asked, and they all fell quiet, realising that she was right. "Why would he have kept it there? And how did the Tyrannodrones know? They ambushed me to allow it to control me," she pointed out. None of them knew how to respond, all of them now wondering exactly that.

* * *

**To the reviewer who asked about the NS/DT team up, yes, it will be there, as will the SPD team up, both of which I had a lot of fun writing!**

**I hope you liked this as well! I always dislike writing Trent as evil, I'm pretty attached to him!**

**Please review!**


	15. Bully For Ethan

Chapter 15: Bully For Ethan

It was another morning and Ari skated towards Reefside High, feeling a little better than she had over the past few days. While Trent was still in school and still giving them all the creeps, his White Ranger persona hadn't show up attacking Reefside, allowing them some peace. While she was still worried for the boy she continued to see as her friend, she was finally able to relax a little bit.

"Ari! Check it out!" Ethan laughed as he caught up to her, waving his laptop in his hand. "Platinum sword triose baby!" he laughed, and Ari couldn't help but laugh either as she stepped off her board.

"Congratulations," she smiled, knowing how long he had been working to gain it. She crouched down to lift her board, before there was a shout.

"Heads up!" they heard Connor's call, before a ball slammed into Ethan's laptop. It slammed straight into the side of Ari's head, and she fell over, putting a hand to her face.

"Ari! You ok?" Ethan crouched beside her, his laptop forgotten for a moment.

"I'm fine, I've taken worse hits. At least I was wearing my helmet," she laughed, but there was a quiver in her voice as she moved her hand to reveal a large bruise already forming.

"Hey!" Ethan spotted the culprit, who was already smirking widely.

"What are you complaining about, geek?" the boy laughed.

"First of all, my name is Ethan, not Geek," the Blue Ranger snarled at him as he walked over. Grabbing the laptop and her board, Ari chased after him. "And out of this whole field you had to kick the ball over there? You really do need practice!" he yelled furiously at him.

"What's the big deal, _Ethan_? So I hit your computer, like that matters," Derrick scoffed.

"The big deal, is that you hurt Ari!" he pulled the girl out from behind him to show them, forcing her hand from her face.

"Whoa, are you ok?" Connor was beside her in a second, studying the bruise across her face.

"Yeah I'm fine," she insisted, but the tears in her eyes suggested otherwise.

"It's not like I hit your girlfriend on purpose, if you didn't have your computer out, the ball wouldn't have hit it, and your computer wouldn't have hit her!" Ethan scowled, hating his relaxed attitude.

"Well maybe you could try and hit the net for once? That is, if you even can?" he mocked, and the smirk immediately dropped from the boy's face.

"That's it!" he swung a punch at the Blue Ranger, only for Connor to block it and hold him back.

"Come on, party's over," Connor held him back.

"You watch yourself, dweeb," Derrick snarled at him.

"Derrick, chill," Connor pushed him back as Ari grabbed Ethan's arm. Connor shot him a warning look, and followed the other jock.

"Come on. We might be able to salvage your computer anyway," she told him softly, and they headed inside.

1-2-3-4-5

"You sure you're ok?" Ethan asked as he and Ari walked through the corridors.

"Honestly Ethan, I'm fine," she insisted, and when he didn't look convinced, she smiled. "One of the first times I attempted to go up a ramp on my skateboard, I fell off and hit my head so hard, I cracked my helmet," Ari told him, chuckling at the blurry memory. "Like I said, I've had worse," she said. Accepting this, Ethan let it drop, but plenty of students who passed stared at the bruise on her face.

"Hey Connor, did you get the answer to number five on Mercer's homework?" spotting the Red Ranger, Ethan spoke to him. "It's gotta be a trick question!" he exclaimed.

"Do you know this guy?" Derrick looked at Ethan with a raised eyebrow.

"Has he not been paying attention all year?" Ari raised an eyebrow to Ethan, who was frowning at him.

"What's that got to do with you?" he asked the bigger boy.

"Look, geek boy, isn't there some kind of sci-fi convention that you need to go to?" Derrick scowled at him.

"Oh, you really are cliché, aren't you?" Ethan rolled his eyes. "Your parents must be so proud," even Connor couldn't help but snicker at the sarcasm dripping from Ethan's words.

"What did you just call me?" Derrick demanded, looking furious. "What did he just call me?" he turned to Connor.

"Why are you asking him? Can't you figure it out for yourself?" Ethan taunted him, laughing.

"Ethan, stop it, you're just gonna make things worse," Ari warned her friend.

"What's wrong with you kid?" Derrick snarled at her, and she turned with a raised eyebrow to him. "I know about you, how you're two years younger than the rest of us. You think you're better than me just cause you're a geek too?" he asked her, and Ari blinked several times.

"Well I don't think that I'm better than you, nor am I a geek as you say," she then smiled at him. "I just think that by mocking you, Ethan's just going to make things worse because you seem to have a short temper and self-esteem issues," she told him, and Ethan couldn't stop the snort of laughter that bubbled from his mouth. Connor had to turn away as well, his shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter. After a moment, Ari then paused. "You know, I can see now why I used to get beat up a lot in my old school," she commented.

"Yeah? So can I," Derrick growled.

"Hey, your problem is with me," Ethan diverted his attention back to him. "Or do you enjoy picking on girls that are younger than you?" he mocked, and Derrick let out a snarl.

"Oh, you are in need of a serious lesson," he told the shorter boy, who just laughed.

"Oh! Fine. Bring it," Ethan pulled his backpack off.

"Ethan! Are you sure you wanna do this?" Connor stepped forwards quickly.

"Look, stay out of this McKnight," Derrick snarled at him. "This is between me, and the geek," he smirked down at Ethan, before the bell rang suddenly.

"You know what? For the first time in my life, I actually wanna go to class!" Connor exclaimed loudly. "So come on guys!" he shoved Derrick along, but Derrick stopped.

"You and me, after school. Your friend won't be there to protect you," Derrick told him with a smirk, before walking off.

"Ethan, I told you to stop," Ari shook her head. "Take it from the kid who spent years getting into fights with bullies. It doesn't end well," she told him, worried about the Blue Ranger. Before he could respond, however, they heard a strange noise nearby.

"Oh...what now?" Ethan groaned, and they hurried down the corridor to find it. They peered outside, and spotted a monster creeping around the school grounds with Zeltrax. The pair groaned at the sight. "Great, like I don't have enough to think about," the Blue Ranger muttered sarcastically.

"Come on, we better figure out what they're up to," Ari sighed, and they chased after the pair. "Hey, you losers lost?" they called as they reached the courtyard, and Zeltrax and his new monster turned around.

"Yeah, the school for misguided machines is down the road," Ethan growled.

"Very funny," Zeltrax didn't sound very amused. "But it's this school we're after," he told them, and they rolled their eyes.

"Get real Zeltrax!"

"This is very real!" the machine growled. "Termitetron can destroy whole cities in a matter of moments. Turn over Doctor Oliver, or I will release him on your fellow students," he warned the pair.

"Not if we can exterminate him first," Ethan commented, shrugging a little.

"Stubborn as always," Zeltrax sighed.

"Ready?" Ethan called as he and Ari called on their morphers.

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER-"

"Ethan! Ari!" they froze instantly and cursed under their breath as they heard Cassidy call out. They looked around to see a crowd of students, with Cassidy and Devin at the lead, watching.

"Perfect timing!" Zeltrax laughed.

"Now those are what I call bullies," Cassidy grinned. "Roll the camera Devin!" she barked to him.

"Are you insane? Stay back!" Ari yelled at them, and Termitetron blasted the ground in front of them, making the students cry out. They ran and hid behind the bushes to watch as Ethan and Ari dodged, unable to morph. "Still watching?" Ari asked warily as she straightened up.

"Yep," Ethan growled, irritated as he saw Devin filming the fight.

"Fantastic. Come on," Ari nodded to him, and they rushed the monster. As Ethan was tossed aside, Ari used her training to dodge the attacks and leap up, slamming a kick into the monster's side. Her foot protested at the hit, and she was thrown to the ground. Ethan landed in a heap beside her, and both groaned.

"Hey! Back off!" they heard Kira's yell, and the Yellow Ranger flipped through the air, blasting the monster. "You ok?" she asked as she landed in front of them. "Kids, why don't you step aside?" Kira asked, aiming her blaster at the monster as she stood in front of her fallen friends.

"'Kids'?" the pair repeated with disgust.

"Go on, _go_," Kira hissed at them, and they got to their feet, running off. When they found a secluded spot, they nodded to each other.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed and sped back to the fight. As the monster leapt at Kira, Ethan tackled it out of the air.

"You ok?" Ari asked as she ran over to the Yellow Ranger.

"Yeah, thanks," her friend nodded.

"Good, now let's take these freaks down!" Ari declared, and they began to fight off Zeltrax as Ethan handled the monster. Dodging his sword's blows, the pair landed blows that barely seemed to faze him, but they didn't relent. Kira landed on his sword, and Ari kicked him from behind.

"Oh cool, girlie Rangers!" Cassidy suddenly ran over to try and interview Kira and Ari as Zeltrax recovered.

"Not now! Duck!" Kira grabbed Cassidy and swung her out of the way, and Ari intercepted Zeltrax's next attack that would have hit Devin, by raising a shield that the sword bounced off.

"Get out of the way!" Ari told the two as they continued to fight Zeltrax, and when she saw them start to get in Ethan's way, she rolled her eyes. Zeltrax let out a growl, kicking Kira back before catching Ari with his sword, and blasted them to the ground.

"Guys!" Ethan ran over to help them up, and Termitetron ran over to Zeltrax.

"I want you to get a message to the Black Ranger," Zeltrax told the three Rangers.

"You ever heard of email?" Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Tell him to surrender to me at the old warehouse before sunset, or I will turn Termitetron lose on the city," he warned them coldly, before disappearing through an Invisiportal.

"Great..." Ethan sighed.

1-2-3-4-5

By the time they managed to get away to somewhere quiet and demorph, the three Rangers were already very late for class.

"Sorry we're late," Ethan apologised as they ran into the classroom, which was silent as Doctor Mercer wrote on the blackboard. "Did we miss anything?" he asked the teacher, who was frowning at the trio.

"Well, nothing you can't make up in detention. After school, today," he told them, and with heavy sighs they turned away.

"Why does this feel really familiar?" Kira sighed.

"All I know is that I'm gonna be killed when Sensei and dad see how many detentions I've gotten this year," Ari grumbled, before Ethan tripped and crashed to the ground.

"My bad," Derrick smirked down at him as Ari and Kira helped the furious Blue Ranger up.

"Derrick! I believe there are rules in the student handbook about treating your fellow students with courtesy and respect," Doctor Mercer spoke lightly, not looking up. "Why don't you, uh, join us in detention today, to review them?" he asked, and Derrick's smirk dropped instantly. "Now, let's open our textbooks to chapter eight," he spoke as Ethan, Ari and Kira took their seats, and Derrick shot Ethan a warning look, mouthing 'after school' at him.

1-2-3-4-5

The bell rang loudly, signalling the end of the school day, and the four Rangers walked together as three of them made their way to detention.

"You're gonna tell Doctor O about Zeltrax, right?" Kira asked Connor as they walked down the corridor.

"Yeah, ok, but what about you Ethan?" Connor looked to the Blue Ranger, more concerned about him.

"What about me?" Ethan frowned up at the tall jock.

"The fight," Connor rolled his eyes.

"The whole school knows about it," Kira pointed out. As he went to respond, Cassidy and Devin appeared, blocking their way.

"Oh Ethan, hello," they pushed Kira, Connor and Ari out of the way to talk. "Ok, good luck for today, and if you happen to fall over, fall towards the camera, that would be really good for me," Cassidy smiled.

"And heaven forbid we do anything for anyone other than you," irritated, Ari couldn't help herself. Cassidy glared at her, and stormed off. "Look Ethan, you're not actually going to go through with this, are you?" the Gold Ranger turned to her friend.

"Yeah, so Derrick is a bully who can kick your butt. Who cares?" Kira shrugged as she looked at him, and Ethan scowled as he looked up. "Wait, you're not gonna use your Dino power on him, right?" she remembered Ethan's ability to harden his skin to block hits.

"No, I'm not gonna use my Dino power," Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Dude, no offence, but without it..." Connor trailed off, and Ethan scowled at him.

"There's other ways to deal with a bully!" he snapped, storming off.

1-2-3-4-5

As predicted, detention dragged, with Ari catching up on what they had missed, and Derrick shooting Ethan threatening glances when Doctor Mercer wasn't looking. When it reached the last minute, the four all ended up staring at the clock.

"You may leave," Doctor Mercer spoke the when the clock stuck 4. He then left, and they sighed.

"That was fun," Kira grumbled.

"So much," Ari rolled her eyes, before their morphers beeped. Ethan looked down, and back up at Derrick.

"We may have to reschedule," he gulped, and Derrick rolled his eyes.

"I knew you'd try and get out of it," he smirked.

"Believe me, I want this over with as much as you," Ethan told him, sighing. "But something just came up," he insisted, and Derrick scoffed.

"He's not lying. It's important," Kira spoke up.

"As soon as I'm done, I'll be back," Ethan told him. "I'll meet you on the soccer field," he told the bully.

"One hour," Derrick warned, leaning towards them. "And if you don't come back, I'm coming looking for you," he told Ethan as the Blue Ranger stood up. "And you won't like it when I find you," he promised.

"He'll be back in an hour," Ari sighed. "Now come on," she and her friends ran off.

1-2-3-4-5

Hearing the Doctor Oliver and Connor had gone to face Zeltrax in the warehouse like the machine had requested, Kira, Ethan and Ari hurried to join them. When they found the place, they found Connor and the Black Ranger on the ground, having taken a beating. They hurried over, and helped the pair up as Termitetron laughed.

"I thought you were supposed to meet Zeltrax," Kira frowned.

"I guess he was afraid to face me in person," Doctor Oliver shrugged.

"He'll be here," Termitetron told them. "I'm just the welcoming party," he laughed.

"So what, Zeltrax afraid that he can't take Doctor Oliver at full strength, so he sends a bug to tire him out?" Ari frowned at the monster.

"I guess we better change into our costumes," Connor growled. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"DINO POWER!" they morphed and leapt through the air, kicking Termitetron back.

"You posers are no match for me! Bug Bombs!" he attacked them with buzzing insects, which swarmed the Rangers and attacked them repeatedly. Managing to get away, Connor rolled to the side and called on his blaster, destroying the bugs quickly. "Hey! Those are my babies!" Termitetron cried out.

"Feel this baby!" Connor yelled as he ran at the monster with his Tyranno Staff. "Tyranno Staff!" he swung off it and kicked Termitetron repeatedly.

"Hey, let us in on the action!" Ari called as they called on their weapons too.

"Let's put 'em together!" Connor nodded to his friends, and they combined their weapons.

"Z-Rex Blaster!" they aimed the cannon at the monster, who cried out in horror as he got to his feet.

"Time to bug out!"

"Fire!" they blasted the monster, and destroyed him.

"Good work," Doctor Oliver told his students. Within moments, the monster regenerated, and grew.

"I'm a big bad bug!" Termitetron laughed as he broke through the roof of the warehouse.

"You guys ready?" Doctor Oliver asked as they ran out of the Warehouse, looking up at the monster. Before they could respond, Zeltrax appeared through a portal.

"Oh, _now _you show up," Ari rolled her eyes at the machine.

"Better late than never," Doctor Oliver growled at him.

"I'd say my timing is perfect. Give up, and I call him off. Or take your chances with me," Zeltrax told them as he pointed his sword at them.

"You know what I choose guys?" Doctor Oliver looked to the other Rangers, who nodded. They ran off as he called on the Brachio Zord, which brought with it their Zords. They combined to make the Thundersaurus Megazord, and faced off against Termitetron.

"Nice hardware," the monster commented. "I think I'll eat it!" he decided, and flew towards them.

"We could use some bug spray!" Connor cried out as the monster slammed into them and held on.

"This annoying pest needs a good swat!" Kira nodded. They hurled Termitetron through the air, and he landed on his feet.

"My turn!" he declared, flying at them again.

"I hate bugs," Ari groaned as they tossed him through the air again. They ran at him this time before he could recover, shoving him back.

"Let's dynamite this termite!" Connor called as they released the monster, who stumbled back several giant steps. "Dino Drill!" they launched into the air, and shot at Termitetron, destroying him with one final blow.

1-2-3-4-5

"Are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, the guy's a jerk," Connor was still attempting to talk Ethan out of facing Derrick as they, plus Ari, returned to the school.

"Would you just trust me, for once?" Ethan rolled his eyes at the Red Ranger, and they walked up to Derrick. Connor stood in front of him frowning at the bully.

"Out of my way, McKnight. You too," he glanced at Ari as she folded her arms. "This is between me, and the geek here," he gestured to Ethan. Connor and Ari glanced to Ethan, who nodded, and they walked over to stand beside Kira.

"Ok, here's the deal. I could fight you, but what would that prove?" Ethan asked as Derrick glared at him. "Instead, I'd like to make you a proposition," he offered, and Derrick laughed at him.

"You're bailing?" he asked in disbelief.

"I think I can improve your game," Ethan told him, and the bully folded his arms. "If I do, you promise to back off me and my friends," he said, and when Derrick didn't respond, he glanced to one of the others from his computer club. "My LT, please," he requested.

"Why doesn't he just call it a laptop like a normal human being?" Connor rolled his eyes, and despite the tense situation, Ari giggled.

"This is a computer image of you kicking," Ethan held it up for Derrick to see. "I superimposed it against an image of a pro player from Manchester," Derrick leaned closer.

"How'd you do that?" he frowned as he watched the video.

"I'm a computer geek, remember?" Ethan smirked. Derrick laughed.

"Oh yeah," he nodded.

"Look. See where you're blowing it? It's just that one little hitch in your kick," Ethan told him, and Derrick thought about it.

A few moments later, everyone cleared away from the goal, and Derrick faced off against a nervous looking goalie. He kicked the ball, and it flew around the diving goalkeeper, and into the net. He laughed a little, stepping back.

"I can't believe it worked," he admitted.

"I told ya," Ethan shrugged.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Derrick asked, looking a little sheepish now.

"The Net. Well, the Internet, that is," Ethan corrected himself with a grin.

"That's pretty cool," Derrick admitted. "And I'm sorry about before. I just thought a guy like you, you know, so smart and all, wouldn't wanna talk to a guy like me. Guess I was wrong," he sighed.

"It's a brave new world out there, my friend," Ethan chuckled.

"And hey, I'm really sorry about your face too," Derrick turned to Ari, who blinked several times before smiling at him.

"It's alright. I'm sorry about what I said as well, pain makes me mean,"she shrugged, and he frowned a little at her.

"Ignore Ari, she's a bit on the weird side," Connor told the boy. "Comes from being smart," he added. Ari laughed, and the four headed off home.

* * *

**Well it's definitely been a very eventful weekend! Was in Dublin for MCM Ireland, which was great fun! So many streetpasses...and then my phone got stolen so I've been pretty annoyed the last couple of days.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	16. Copy That

**I was attempting to update last night but there were issues that stopped me from uploading, so yeah, here you go!  
**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Copy That

Smiling at a couple of students as they thanked her for the milkshakes she had placed on their table, Ari turned and moved to the next table to pass out more drinks. She called out a greeting to Connor and Kira as they sat at one of the tables, working on their next assignment, and hummed to herself.

"Thanks for doing this Ari, I know I've asked you to work a lot of shifts this week," Hayley sighed as she handed out another milkshake.

"It's alright Hayley, though maybe you should get someone else to work here," Ari grinned at her boss.

"And that's what I'm here for," Ethan announced as he stood beside her. When Ari shot him a questioning frown, the Blue Ranger grinned. "Hayley asked me to help out, and since computer club is off until the teacher recovers from that time he electrocuted himself, I have some free time," he told her.

"Electrocuted himself?" Ari repeated, her eyes wide.

"Yep," Ethan nodded, before taking the drinks meant for Connor and Kira.

"Good luck," Ari shook her head, and watched Ethan slowly lifted it, and carried it over, attempting not to spill it.

"Waiter!" Cassidy barked at him, making the Blue Ranger trip. Ari moved and caught the tray before he could drop it, but Ethan crashed to the ground in front of the other two Rangers.

"Clean up on aisle five," Connor smirked as they looked down at him.

"Yeah, since when do you work here?" Kira asked.

"Since like two seconds ago," Ari giggled as she set their drinks down.

"Hayley's really been shorthanded since Trent quit. I'm just trying to help her out," Ethan told them as he got to his feet.

"As long as you don't go around spilling more drinks, you'll definitely help me get some time to go out on my board," Ari commented.

"I guess kicking our butts has kept Trent real busy these days," Connor rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, no doubt," Ethan nodded.

"Hate to say this, but I think you guys might've been right..." Kira sighed sadly. "Maybe there is no good left in Trent," she looked down at her drink.

"Don't say that," they looked at Ari, whose smile had been wiped from her face. "Remember the space rock that turned him good again. There's still hope. There's always hope. We'll break that Gem's hold on him," she spoke with utter surety, and walked off as Cassidy began barking for her again, and the other three looked at each other.

1-2-3-4-5

As Ari helped Ethan get used to his new job, Connor and Kira watched, occasionally laughing when Ethan tripped or spilled something again. After the fifth spillage, which ended up all over Ari, their morphers beeped.

"_Come in Rangers, we've got a situation_," Doctor Oliver's voice echoed through their morphers as Ari glared at Ethan, who was smiling weakly. "_I need you over at the City Centre right away_!" he told them.

"We're on our way," Connor responded, and after a quick apology to Hayley, Ari and Ethan followed the Red and Yellow Rangers out, tossing their aprons behind them as Ari did the same with her milkshake covered hoody.

"Over there!" Kira led the way to a spot that would hide them.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"Dino Power!"

"Alright creep, we're taking you down!" Connor yelled as they reached the monster, who appeared to be several giant peppers joined together with an otter face and claws.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" the monster laughed. "Here's a pepper for you!" Copyotter threw a pepper at them, but Kira sent it flying back with a swing of her sabre.

"I'm not supposed to have too many spicy foods. Thanks anyway," she told him as the others laughed and applauded her shot.

"Then how about some seafood!" Copyotter then held out a shell. "This is what I call 'shell-shocked'!" he began to throw a large collection of them at the Rangers.

"So many puns so early on! I can't take it!" Ari cried out as she raised her shield to block them. Ethan cut through the rest with his own sabre, and the fragments fell to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" Copyotter declared.

"Tricera Shield!" Ethan held up his shield.

"That's exactly what I was waiting for!" the monster laughed. The strange light on his arm lit up purple. "Now here's _my _secret power! Copy...Tricera Shield!" the Rangers were stunned when a replica of Ethan's shield appeared in his hand. "Fire!" he then blasted Ethan, and laughed.

"Now it's on!" Kira growled.

"Tyranno Staff!"

"Ptera Grips!" the two called on their weapons.

"Uh, maybe you shouldn't-"

"Copy!" Ari's warning came too late, and copies of their weapons appeared in his hands.

"He copied our weapons!" Connor groaned.

"That's cheating!" Kira yelled. Copyotter ran at them and attacked, knocking the three to the ground. "He's got our weapons, what else does he want?" she demanded furiously.

"Copy!" Copyotter laughed as he held up his arm again. "_Hi, I'm the Yellow Ranger. Aren't I cute_?" he mimicked in Kira's voice.

"My voice!" Kira cried out in horror.

"Ohh, that's cold," Ethan couldn't help but laugh.

"That's enough!" Connor pushed himself to his feet, and Copyotter laughed again.

"I agree!" he declared, and they frowned. "I have more important things to copy! See ya!" he ran off before they could stop him.

"Just how are we supposed to stop this guy if he just copies our weapons when we use them?" Ari glanced to the others, worried.

"We start by finding him," Kira growled, furious at his mockery of her using her voice. The Rangers nodded, and they ran after him.

1-2-3-4-5

After calling on their bikes and riding towards where Copyotter's signal had finally stopped, the Rangers looked around for the powerful monster.

"His signal is coming from right around here," Connor told his friends as they stopped their bikes and climbed off.

"Then where is he?" Kira asked with a frown.

"Just keep focused, he's here," Ari looked around.

"Looking for me?" Copyotter's voice came from behind them, making the four jump and spin around. "I was picking peppers!" he laughed, and hurled more peppers at them before they could retaliate. They exploded as soon as they hit the ground, and the Rangers rolled to the side to dodge.

"Careful! Remember, he can copy our weapons!" Ethan reminded them as Copyotter laughed loudly.

"Let's see him copy this!" Ari yelled, calling on energy-balls in both hands.

"Copy!" he copied them before she could toss them, and threw the replicas into Ari's as she threw them. The resulting explosion knocked them all to the ground.

"Ok...so that was my bad," Ari groaned.

"So how do we fight him?" Kira asked as they got to their feet.

"I got it!" Connor realised. "We close up the head of the Z-Rex Blaster, he makes a copy, then fires it, it explodes!" he told them with a laugh.

"Sneaky, I like it," Ethan grinned.

"That might be stupid enough to work," Ari shrugged, giggling a little.

"Let's do it!" Connor cheered.

"Are you done with your meeting over there?" Copyotter asked, getting bored.

"Just a minute!" Connor told him as they summoned their Z-Rex Blaster and aimed it at him, shutting the mouth over.

"Copy!" the monster replicated it as predicted. "Z-Rex Blaster, ready to go!" he aimed it at them, before pausing. "Oh wait, I almost forgot!" he then opened the mouth, and they cried out. "Now it's ready, fire!" he blasted them, and in the surprise, Ari disappeared in a flash of gold. Kira, Connor and Ethan were blasted, and flew through the air. They landed in the water, and Ari landed on the other side, falling immediately on her backside.

"You really are full of surprises," Trent laughed, and Ari looked up to see him standing over her.

"What are you doing? Waiting to fight the winner?" she got to her feet as he chuckled.

"Something like that," he commented, before something flashed behind him. Ari frowned, and he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a claw reach out and grab him. Trent cried out and grabbed Ari's wrist, and both were yanked through the portal with loud cries.

1-2-3-4-5

"Let me go you freaks!" Ari yelled as she was restrained by several Tyrannodrones, demorphed. Trent was restrained in a chair in the middle of the room, the same one that she had once found Doctor Oliver strapped to.

"_Traitor_," Mesogog snarled at the White Ranger as he leaned over him.

"Great. I was just collateral damage in grabbing Trent. Just what I need when there's a battle going on," Ari groaned, still struggling in the grasp of four Tyrannodrones.

"Silence girl, or you will go first," Mesogog snarled at her, before turning back to Trent. "As for you, you'll regret double-crossing me," Mesogog warned the boy furiously.

"Traitor? What are you talking about?!" Trent cried as Mesogog aimed a laser at him.

"You cannot be trusted, and therefore, must be eliminated," he growled.

"No! You're making a mistake!" Trent pleaded with him, terrified.

"Goodbye White Ranger," Mesogog ignored his pleas. He walked over to a computer, ready to activate the machine and destroy Trent.

"No! Leave him alone!" Ari cried out, struggling even more. Mesogog ignored her too, and activated the laser. Trent screamed in pain, and tears spilled down Ari's face as she watched the boy who she still saw as her friend. "Just stop it!" she screamed, and light began to shine brightly around her. The laser suddenly exploded, and golden light surrounded Trent as well as the machines around the room began to explode.

"No!" Mesogog snarled as the explosions took out the Tyrannodrones, and threw Ari to the ground. Groaning, she looked up, and found Mesogog nowhere to be found, and Trent's eyes were closed.

"Trent!" scrambling to her feet, Ari ran over to the White Ranger. "Trent? Please, you've gotta be ok," tears filled her eyes again, and Trent groaned, opening his eyes and looking up at her weakly.

"Ari? What did you do?" he asked, and she frowned. "I feel...like my old self again," he told her. Ari's eyes widened as she stared at the boy, unsure whether to trust him or not. "Why did you help me? I've been trying to kill you for the last month," Trent stared up at her.

"Because before the Dino Gem made you evil, you were my friend," Ari told him softly, before unclipping his restraints.

"Wait, you trust me?" he frowned up at her. "You didn't trust me the last time," Trent pointed out, and Ari shrugged as she helped him up.

"This is different. You're different. I can feel it," she smiled. "Now come on, the others are in trouble, and who knows where Mesogog has gone to," Ari told him, and ran from the room, unaware of Trent looking back at someone standing in the corner, looking relieved to see him back to normal as Trent spoke to him softly.

1-2-3-4-5

"How's the dirt taste?" Copyotter laughed as he threw Connor into a tree. All four of the Rangers were on the ground, exhausted from the pounding that they had taken. Copyotter's laughter quickly stopped when he was struck from behind, and the Rangers looked up to see Trent ride up on his ATV, with Ari on her bike.

"Ari! Where were you?" Kira called out to the Gold Ranger, who laughed lightly.

"It's a long and awesome story," she told them as Trent climbed off his ATV.

"Looks like you could use a little help," the White Ranger told them. Drawing his dagger, Trent launched at Copyotter, slashing him repeatedly before leaping through the air. Copyotter barely managed to copy his weapon in time to block the next attack, and threw Trent back.

"Let's see how you like it!" Copyotter ran at him and threw Trent into a tree, before Ari attacked him from behind.

"What, you forget about me?" she asked, tilting her head a little.

"You'll regret that!" Copyotter warned her, and rushed at her, attacking the Gold Ranger with Trent's weapon.

"Super Dino Mode!" Trent got back to his feet and called on the same power that the others used.

"He's got Super Dino Mode!" Connor cried out, horrified. Trent's suit looked even more intimidating, and even more powerful than their own Super Dino Mode.

"And I like it," Trent smirked. When Copyotter threw Ari aside, Trent attacked him, tackling him and pushing him back several metres into a tree.

"But I thought we were on the same side!" Copyotter cried out.

"Not anymore!" Trent told him.

"Is this another trick?" Connor scowled as Trent finished off the monster. As he walked towards them, Copyotter returned and grew.

"Copy this, Rangers!" he mocked as he towered over them.

"Brachio!" Doctor Oliver called on their Zords. The four Rangers leapt into them, and combined to make their Megazord.

"I'm ready for you Rangers!" Copyotter declared.

"Ari, _what _is going on?" Ethan glanced to the Gold Ranger.

"I'll explain after we finish this guy off!" she told him, and they fought with Copyotter, who threw peppers at them. They exploded as they slammed into the Megazord, and the Rangers cried out as they were thrown about. He then blasted them again, and they cried out.

"Oh, it's on now!" Ethan growled.

"Ankylozord!" they called on the Dino Zord, which attached and blocked Copyotter's next attack and bounced it back at them. He cried out, and fell backwards. "Double Drill Attack!" they spun the arms of their Megazord, and slashed down with both, destroying the monster.

1-2-3-4-5

"Anyone know why Doctor Oliver wanted us to meet him here?" Ethan asked as he, Connor and Kira walked into the lab, all of them looking very confused.

"He said something about a big surprise," Kira shrugged, knowing as much as he did.

"Wonder why he had Ari meet us here too," Connor wondered aloud, and as they walked inside, they found Trent standing in the middle of the lab.

"Hey guys," he greeted them with a small smile as they froze. They fell into fighting stances, glaring at the White Ranger. "Hold on," he pleaded with them.

"Whoa. How'd you get in here?" Connor demanded with a growl.

"I let him in," Doctor Oliver told them as he turned around in his seat.

"What?!" Connor hissed at him. "But he's-"

"On our side," they looked around to see Ari sitting on one of the desks. "The evil that controlled the Gem is gone. He's good now," Ari smiled at them as they looked distrustful.

"Yeah right," Ethan scoffed. "Everytime we hear that, he burns us!" Ethan exclaimed. "Why should we believe him now?" he demanded.

"Because he saved my life," Doctor Oliver stated.

"Is that true?" Connor turned to Trent, who nodded.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm in control of the Dino Gem now. I wanna use it to fight with you," Trent told them.

"I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't think he was telling the truth. But only you can decide whether or not you trust him," Doctor Oliver told the Red and Blue Rangers standing beside him.

"Ok...so how'd it happen?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ari," Trent smiled softly, and they looked around at Ari quickly. "Her power shattered the Gem's hold on me," he told them as she shrugged, going red.

"Not like I intended to do it. Like I've said, I can't control it," she said.

"Dude...that's..." Connor stared at her, unable to process what she was saying. Ari shrugged again, not knowing what else to say. Her powers were growing and still remained impossible to control, and it scared her.

"Well, if Doctor O's down with it, I guess I'm on board too," Ethan decided.

"Yeah, I guess we got no choice, considering I'm kinda tired of fighting you," Connor nodded. Trent smiled thankfully at them, and turned to Kira, who had been very quiet the entire time.

"Look, I know I got a lot to make up for," he told the Yellow Ranger as he walked over to her. "But I promise, this time, I won't let you down," he told her in a soft voice.

"Well, I guess everyone deserves one last chance," Kira then hugged him tightly, taking the White Ranger by surprise. Ari giggled, before Kira walked over and hugged her, having been worried for the Gold Ranger. "Thank you," she whispered, and Ari giggled even more as she hugged her back. "But guys," Kira then turned to the others. "Isn't there a rule that says newbie Rangers have to wash all the Zords?" she smirked.

"Hey, I forgot about that rule!" Ethan smirked widely as Connor and Ari started laughing. Even Doctor Oliver was laughing now.

"The Zords?" Trent spun around to stare at them, his mouth hanging open. "But they're gigantic!" he cried as they all shoved cleaning supplies into his arms.

"Yeah, they are, so you'd better get started," Connor told him, placing a brush on top of the basket.

"And there are a lot of them," Ari winked as Trent groaned, looking like he was regretting the decision to join them already.

* * *

**Yay Trent's finally good!**

**I hope you liked the changes I made to this chapter, it'll all be explained eventually!**

**Please review!**


	17. Tutenhawken's Curse

Chapter 17: Tutenhawken's Curse

"Life for the kings and queens of Egypt was awash with riches and treasure beyond the imagination," a tour guide told the class as they walked through the museum. "Some of these artifacts are over 4,000 years old," she told the class, who looked around in surprise.

"Wow, look at this stuff!" Kira was amazed by the collection. "Can you imagine what it must have been like to live back then?" she glanced to Ari as she looked around, looking just as fascinated.

"Yeah, I can," Cassidy spoke up. "The Egyptians knew the importance of style and class, so I would have fit right in!" Kira and Ari rolled their eyes.

"And this is the sarcophagus-"

"Which I think Cassidy would fit right in," Ari whispered to Kira, and she burst out laughing, along with Trent, Ethan and Connor, who had been standing behind them as Cassidy glared at her.

"_As _I was saying, this is the sarcophagus of the ancient Pharaoh, Tutenhawken," the tour guide glared at the group as they tried to conceal their laughter. "He was a feared leader, who was believed to have mystical powers," she told them.

"Hey, maybe you're his descendant Ari, and that's why you're so weird," Connor whispered to the Gold Ranger, who slapped his arm as the others continued to laugh.

"Whoa, check out these hieroglyphics!" Ethan spotted the Egyptian writing on the side.

"Weird...what does it say?" Connor asked.

"Well my Ancient Egyptian is a little rusty, but I'm pretty sure it says 'bird, bird bird, hand, bird foot, half-circle, bird..." Ari grinned, and the Rangers continued to laugh.

"When your clown is quite finished..." they looked around as the guide cleared her throat. She frowned at Ari, clearly unimpressed with her antics. The Gold Ranger just smiled innocently. "There is a legend regarding those hieroglyphics. Many believed that Tutenhawken was able to put hexes upon his enemies. The exact translation is unclear, but these writings are believed to be some sort of curse," she told them.

"That is beyond cool man," Ethan laughed, grabbing a notebook from his bag. "I gotta write this stuff down," he told Ethan as he began to trace the hieroglyphics.

"Why?" Trent frowned at him.

"So I can decipher it!" Ethan exclaimed, as this were obvious. "It'll be like cracking an ancient computer code!" he went back to writing it as the others rolled their eyes.

"In other words, it speaks to his inner cyber geek," Connor smirked.

"Well if you do translate it and you end up cursed, don't come crying to us," Ari told the Blue Ranger, who scoffed.

"Oh come on! You guys don't actually believe in that stuff, do you?" he asked, looking sceptically at the four.

"Take a look at your wrist, and you'll understand why there's little I don't believe in," Ari grinned at him. "After all, I'm still certain that something goes on in the forest in Briarwood," she shrugged.

"Oh, I heard about that," Trent nodded as they walked away from the sarcophagus. "Doesn't anyone who goes in never come out?" he asked, and Ari nodded, the pair talking about it as Ethan rolled his eyes.

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After school, Ethan sat in Hayley's Cyberspace, working on deciphering the hieroglyphics.

"So close, only a few more symbols to translate," Ethan beamed in his excitement.

"Are you getting extra credit for this or something?" Connor raised an eyebrow at the Blue Ranger as he and Kira watched. Ari was sitting beside them, finishing up an essay.

"No, this is a personal challenge," Ethan replied. "Tutenhawken may have been the King of Egypt, but I'm the King of Codes," he grinned at his friends.

"No offence Ethan, but Cam's the King of Codes," Ari laughed at him, and Ethan frowned.

"Mrs Porter said there might be a curse," Kira spoke hesitantly. "Maybe you shouldn't," she told him, but Ethan just scoffed.

"This is about technology, hard facts. Not about some crazy legend like going into a forest and never returning," he rolled his eyes.

"Telling everyone about Briarwood huh?" Ari looked up and grinned as Xander took a seat beside her.

"Don't I always?" she asked, and he nodded. "Guys, you didn't get to meet him last time, this is Xander," Ari introduced her best friend as Kira and Connor looked up. "That's Connor, Kira, and the one who's about to get cursed is Ethan," Ari smirked a little.

"I'm not about to get cursed!" Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Connor and Kira grinned at Xander, ignoring their friend.

"Hey-"

"No," Ari spoke sharply when she saw his eyes on Kira.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Xander exclaimed.

"Xander, you forget I've known you since we were 8. I know when you're about to flirt with someone," Ari finished the last of her essay as Connor began to laugh.

"Thanks," Xander grumbled, going red.

"She's got her eye on someone else-"

"Shut up!" Kira threw the book Connor was looking through at Ari, who barely managed to dodge it as she and Connor laughed even more.

"He knows, by the way," Ari stated as she shoved her homework back into her backpack. "You know, about..." she trailed off, tapping her bracelet that hid her morpher.

"That explains why Doctor O was lecturing you for like an hour the other day," Connor grinned as Ari went red.

"He was a fossil when it happened. Not my fault," she muttered.

"Another lecture?" Xander smirked at her.

"Yes, and it lasted almost as long as Cam's. This time it wasn't my fault. If anything I blame Trent," Ari muttered, bright red.

"What did I do?" the White Ranger blinked several times as he stood behind the counter in front of them, only having caught the last of the conversation.

"You were evil," Ari told him lightly, and Trent frowned at her.

"You told me you were over it," he complained, and Ari grinned. "And hey, should you be-"

"He knows. Trent, this is Xander," she introduced the pair,

"Wait, he was the White Ranger who nearly killed us?" he realised after a second, recognising the boy as the one who had collapsed the last time he had visited.

"Sorry," Trent offered a guilty smile.

"He's good now," Ari told the Australian when she saw his alarmed look.

"Thanks to Ari," Kira spoke up with a smile. Trent smiled at the Yellow Ranger, and Ari smirked at her as Kira went red.

"Yes! I got it!" Ethan's sudden declaration made them all look at him quickly.

"Cool, what's it say?" Connor asked as he leaned in.

"'To the defilers of my tomb, I now bestow eternal doom. Woe to you who read this first, upon you is the Pharaoh's curse'..." Ethan looked up, nervous.

"Oh dude! You're cursed!" Connor laughed. "Get away from me before it rubs off!" he exclaimed.

"Very funny..." Ethan muttered, not looking very amused.

"What _is _the Pharaoh's curse?" Xander asked, frowning at the Blue Ranger.

"Yeah, are you gonna like, turn into a Cocker Spaniel or grow an extra head or something?" Connor was taking great delight in the growing fear in Ethan's eyes.

"Oh, the dog thing would be awesome!" Ari giggled.

"The extra head, not so much," Trent smirked, and earned a glare.

"These warnings were put on the tomb to scare off grave robbers and thieves," Ethan told them, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "That's all it is," he growled. "Back me up here Kira?" he looked to the Yellow Ranger when the other four smirked.

"Hey, I said you shouldn't read it," Kira raised her hands in defence. "Don't blame me if all your hair falls out," she grinned, and Ethan sighed when they all sniggered.

"You guys, nothing is gonna happen from reading that curse," he insisted, and they all scoffed. His laptop began to beep, and his eyes widened. "5.30?! I told my mom I'd pick her up at work!" he yelled out as he grabbed his computer and struggled to unplug it. He cried out as it slipped from his grasp, and slammed onto the ground, exploding. "I don't believe it..." he stood up, staring at it.

"Ouch," Ari winced sympathetically.

"Your new laptop!" Kira stared at the destroyed computer.

"My games...my files..." there were tears in Ethan's eyes as he whimpered. "My life," he hugged it close to him.

"It's started...Tutenhawken's curse," Connor realised, and they all leaned away from him.

"Would you quit it about the curse?" Ethan groaned. "There's no such thing..." he mumbled, walking away.

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"You don't think that he could really be cursed, do you?" Xander asked as he and Ari skated through Reefside.

"At first I didn't," Ari admitted with a giggle. "I mean, sure, I've dealt with a lot of weird stuff, but curses?" she shook her head, before looking up at her friend. "But then that whole thing with his new laptop..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"Well he wasn't exactly being careful with it," Xander shrugged, a little more sceptical about the whole thing.

"You've got a point," Ari relented. "Forget curses, I'm gonna show you up at the skate-park!" she taunted her friend, who frowned at her.

"_I'd_ have to be cursed for that to happen!" he told her as he chased after the laughing Ranger. When Ari suddenly slowed to a stop, Xander frowned and followed her gaze, his dark eyes widening. A large bird-like creature was lounging on a bench, talking to Cassidy and Devin.

"Hey!" Ari skated over. "Leave them alone!" she told the monster as the two students ran for it. The creature gasped, and stood up. "Wait a second...you're that Pharaoh dude!" she recognised Tutenhawken from his sarcophagus.

"King Tutenhawken at your service!" he bowed at her. "And you...you're the sun," Ari frowned at his words. "Nobody could shine as brightly as the sun, especially in a lowly human form," he told her.

"Uh..."

"Is he flirting with you?" Xander asked as he stood beside the very confused Gold Ranger.

"Silence dung-beetle!" Tutenhawken snapped at him. "No human should ever deem themselves worthy enough to talk to this beautiful sun maiden," he growled at the stunned teenager.

"Dung-beetle?!" Xander repeated as Ari covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Now I know he's crazy," she commented. "Get back to your sarcophagus, before I make you," she warned the Pharaoh.

"I have slept long enough! It is time for me to rule this land, with you at my side," he told the girl, who raised an eyebrow. "None shall be able to resist the power of the one who managed to tame the sun!" Tutenhawken declared.

"That's nice and all, but I'm not the sun," Ari told him. "And I doubt you would be able to 'tame' me," she looked insulted at the thought.

"Nonsense!" Tutenhawken scoffed. "Now join me!" he ordered.

"How about, no?" Ari fell into a fighting stance. Tutenhawken spluttered, alarmed at her resistance.

"Then I shall just have to tame you by force!" he roared, and rushed forwards. Ari shoved Xander out of the way, and Tutenhawken grabbed her. Ari cried out as he lifted her into the air by the throat, and golden light surrounded her.

"Ari!" Xander got to his feet and ran to help her, but stopped when Tutenhawken set her down and the lights faded. "Ari?" he frowned when the Pharaoh released her.

"My queen, are you ready to rule by my side?" he asked, and with a smirk, Ari nodded. "Excellent, just as I'd hoped," he laughed.

"Ari, what-" Xander stumbled backwards when the Gold Ranger suddenly tossed an energy-ball that slammed into the ground at his feet.

"My name is _not _Ari," she growled at him. "I am Queen Bast, named like the Goddess of the rising sun, and I will be treated as such," she then walked off, and Tutenhawken laughed as Xander stared after his friend.

1-2-3-4-5

As Ethan finally admitted to Connor and Kira that he believed he was cursed, Ari walked into the cyber-café, and they all looked over at her, their eyes widening. She wore a long Egyptian-style dress that was golden in colour, several rings, bracelets and necklaces, and her black hair fell perfectly around her shoulders.

"Uh, Ari? You're a little late for Halloween," Kira commented as Ari glided in. The girl glanced at them, before walking past without a word. She took a seat, admiring her rings. "Ok, that's really weird," the Yellow Ranger frowned to the two other Rangers.

"Just a lot," Connor agreed, before the doors burst open again and Xander fell through them, breathing heavily as he carried two skateboards and a helmet in his arms. "Yo, what's the deal with her?" Connor asked as Xander ran over to them.

"It's some Pharaoh guy. Tuten-something he called himself," Xander told them.

"Tutenhawken?" Kira frowned up at him. Xander nodded quickly.

"Yeah, he was talking to someone and then when Ari went to stop him, he started acting all weird," he told them, dropping what was in his arms. "Called her the sun, and then did something to her. I don't know what, but she started saying that she was his queen, and called herself Bast," Xander explained, looking up at his best friend as she snapped at Trent, who had made the mistake of walking over to her.

"Great, first the mind control skeleton dude, now a Pharaoh trying to make her his queen? Ari really gets into trouble a lot," Connor groaned, putting his hands to his face.

"Mind control skeleton?" Xander frowned at the Red Ranger.

"Never mind that. Don't you think it's weird that this guy shows up when Ethan gets cursed?" Kira glanced to the Blue Ranger.

"I gotta break it..." Ethan groaned.

"Well, maybe there's something we missed at the museum?" Kira suggested, and Ethan nodded.

"Like some sort of counter spell or something!" he realised.

"Kira, why don't you go back to the museum and see if you can find anything?" Connor suggested to the girl. "Ethan, I think you and I should go to Doctor O and fill him in on the situation," he told the Blue Ranger, who nodded.

"What about Ari?" Kira asked, glancing over to the girl as Trent managed to escape her.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Xander told them, and when they looked a little wary, he grinned. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" he asked.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok, so this is the worst that could happen," Xander groaned as he held an ice-pack to his arm.

"I think it's probably a good thing that Ari's normally good, cause she has some incredible power when she gets mad," Trent commented as he glanced over to the furious looking girl.

"And that is definitely one of the scariest things I've ever heard," Xander shivered at the thought that the goofy crybaby was so powerful even the White Ranger was unnerved.

"You and me both," Trent chuckled. "How's your arm?" he asked, and Xander moved the ice-pack to see. His green shirt sleeve was scorched where one of Ari's energy-balls had clipped his arm.

"Still stings a little," the 16 year old admitted as he looked down at the lightly burned skin, which looked more like a sunburn. "I'm more worried about how Ari's gonna react when she she snaps out of this," he glanced over to Ari as she downed the last of the milkshake she had demanded.

"Yeah, she's not going to be happy," Trent nodded, before his morpher suddenly beeped. "What's up?" he asked, ducking behind the counter.

"_The others have run into some trouble with the Pharaoh and need your help_," Doctor Oliver told him, and Trent sighed.

"Sorry, gotta run," the White Ranger shot Xander an apologetic smile, and ran off, leaving him to deal with Ari, who had turned her glare on him.

"Great..." he sighed, putting a hand to his face. This was not what he had signed up for when he had decided to visit on his day off. When he dared to look at the girl again, his eyes widened. She was gone. "Oh no..." he groaned, running off to attempt to find the girl.

1-2-3-4-5

Tutenhawken had fled and the four non-possessed Rangers stood together, wondering just why their attacks hadn't worked on the Pharaoh. Kira handed over a piece of paper that had the hieroglyphics that she had copied down from the sarcophagus, and Connor clapped Ethan on the shoulder.

"Well? Get cracking, King of Codes," he told the Blue Ranger, who nodded. The paper then blew out of his hand, and he groaned, walking after it. Not hearing the cracking of a tree, he crouched to lift the paper.

"Look out!" he was tackled by Trent, who had been the first to spot the falling tree.

"You ok?" Connor asked as he and Kira ran over.

"Don't worry Ethan, you can break the curse," Kira told him, looking worried.

"I just hope I live long enough to," Ethan groaned.

"Well that's not going to happen," they looked around quickly to see Ari standing at the base of the broken tree. "You have stolen from the great Tutenhawken, and will die!" she hurled another energy-ball at them, and Ethan and Trent rolled out of the way.

"Great, we stop one evil Ranger, and get another," Connor groaned, before pausing. "Uh, no offence dude," he glanced to Trent.

"None taken. You guys work on cracking that code, I'll stop her," Trent told them, and they nodded, running off.

"Stop!" Ari went to pursue Ethan, but Trent stood in the way. "Out of the way peasant, you have not angered my beloved, and so may be spared from his wrath," she warned him as she fell into a fighting stance.

"Sorry Ari, but that's not going to happen!" Trent told her. "WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!" he morphed into his white suit.

"My name is Queen Bast!" Ari yelled at him, morphing into her own Ranger suit. She then shot at the White Ranger, attacking him with punches and kicks, but Trent was stronger than her, and threw her back with a kick to the stomach.

"You saved me, and I'm gonna return the favour," the White Ranger promised, running at her. Ari let out a furious shriek and blocked his attack with her shield. Trent cried out as he was thrown backwards, landing on his back.

"You'll _all_ regret this! This city will suffer for your insolence!" she declared as Trent groaned and pushed himself back up.

"No!" he ran at her again and swung more attacks, but there was a part of him that was holding back. He couldn't bring himself to hurt the Gold Ranger who had saved his life. Within moments, he was kicked back again, and with a snarl, Ari shot off, Ninja-streaking away. "Well...that worked," Trent sighed as he demorphed.

1-2-3-4-5

"That insolent boy did not hurt you, did he?" Tutenhawken asked as he sat beside Ari, who had finished telling him what had happened as they sat in the museum.

"No, of course not," Ari shook her head. "I am far superior to him," she told the Pharaoh, looking a little bored as she played with her hair.

"Once I destroy the defenders of this city, everything will be ours for the taking!" he declared, and she smirked.

"Ari!" her smirk fell when Xander ran in. "I have been looking everywhere for you," he sighed.

"You again?" Tutenhawken snarled as he looked down at him.

"My name isn't Ari, how many times must I tell you that before it sinks into your thick skull!" Ari growled at Xander.

"There's the Ari I know!" he grinned. "Now, excuse me, Pharaoh whatever your name is. You can't go around kidnapping pretty girls just cause they remind you of the sun. Especially not my best friend," Xander told Tutenhawken, who let out a snarl.

"You lowly peasant! How dare you speak to me like that?!" he roared, jumping to his feet.

"Oh yeah, this is normally when Ari saves my ass," Xander realised as he backed away from the powerful king. Tutenhawken leapt at him and kicked him back, and the boy slammed into a wall, groaning.

"Hey, Tutenhawken?" Ari called.

"Yes, my Queen?" Tutenhawken looked around, and cried out as an energy-ball slammed into his face.

"That was for possessing me," Ari growled, and threw another at him. "And that was making me hurt Trent and Ethan!" she threw another, and Tutenhawken staggered back. "And that was for hurting Xander!" she then summoned two more. "And this is for making me wear a _dress_!" Ari hurled them both at him, and the Pharaoh crashed to the ground.

"But...my Queen!" he groaned, stinging from the multiple blows.

"I am _not _your Queen!" Ari yelled at him.

"The Pharaoh will _not _be mocked!" Tutenhawken roared as he got back to his feet. "I shall tear this entire city apart!" he declared, flying off.

"Xander, you ok?" Ari ran over to him, tears in her eyes as he groaned and looked up.

"Somehow, I knew you'd be mad over wearing the dress most," he laughed, and groaned again as it hurt to even do that. Ari couldn't help but laugh as she helped him up.

"Well, thanks for helping snap me out of it. Even if it was by getting yourself nearly killed again," she smiled, and he rested a hand on her head.

"Any time. You better get out there," he looked in the direction that Tutenhawken had gone off in, and she nodded.

"Yeah. But first thing's first," Ari grabbed the front of her dress and yanked, revealing her Ninja gear. "So much better," she grinned as she shook her arms out.

"That is still really unnerving," Xander commented. Ari just laughed, and hurried out to stop the Pharaoh.

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Spotting Connor, Trent and Kira as they fought Tutenhawken, Ari ran up to help them, already morphed.

"Hey guys, need some help?" she called as she stood in front of them. They looked up, alarmed as she looked around, grinning under her helmet.

"You're back to normal!" Kira realised.

"Yep, I had some sense knocked into me. Though I think I kinda made him mad," she gestured to Tutenhawken, who was flying around the air. "So what's the plan? Where's Ethan?" Ari asked as she noticed they were missing a Blue Ranger.

"Ethan's the one who has to defeat this freak," Connor spoke as he got to his feet. "But he has to do it in the air, so he and Hayley are working on making his new bike fly," Ari laughed at this.

"He could do with Hunter's Glider Bike. That thing was awesome," she giggled. "So, we're holding him off until then?" she asked, and they nodded. "Oh, and Trent," she turned to the White Ranger. "I'm really sorry about attacking you," she apologised, and he shrugged.

"Don't worry about it Ari. You weren't yourself," he told her. "You didn't hold it against me, so how can I?" Trent asked, and Ari grinned before turning to Tutenhawken.

"You will pay for humiliating me!" he roared, and blasted them again.

"We gotta go Super Dino!" Connor called to his friends, and the four called on their stronger powers, but even then Tutenhawken threw them about like rag-dolls. He flew through the air, and blasted them off their feet.

"We meet again, White Ranger!" Elsa called as she appeared, drawing her sword. Trent groaned, and ran to fight her, leaving the other three to continue fighting Tutenhawken.

"Can I fight Elsa? At least I know I can beat her," Ari whined as she got to her feet. They were blasted to the ground once again, and within seconds, Trent was thrown into them.

"Trent!" Kira moved to the White Ranger's side, helping him to sit up.

"Back off!" Connor snarled at their opponents. Tutenhawken just laughed from the air as Elsa returned her sword to her side.

"It's over Rangers!" Tutenhawken declared as they got back to their feet.

"Finish them!" Elsa yelled up at him.

"I shall," Tutenhawken nodded, and fired green blasts that knocked them down again. Their Super Dino Mode disappeared, and the four groaned.

"Man, that was harsh!" Connor groaned.

"When did they hook up?" Kira demanded. Elsa laughed, before Tutenhawken was blasted through the air.

"Hovercraft Cycle to the rescue!" Ethan cheered as he raced past the fallen Rangers on his new bike.

"Wow! Go Ethan!" the four cheered as they watched him.

"Hey, I want one of those too!" Connor declared.

"Me too!" Ari laughed. Ethan blasted lasers at Elsa, who leapt into the air and retaliated, but Ethan easily dodged. She continued to attack him, but he sped along the bumpy ground, dodging her attacks before leaping into the air. He fired his blaster, and Elsa screamed as she was knocked to the ground.

"Look out!" Connor yelled, and Ethan narrowly avoided Tutenhawken's attack.

"Goodbye!" the Pharaoh declared as he flew past.

"I don't think so! Hover-Mode, Activate!" Ethan shouted. His bike flew into the air, changing forms and allowing Ethan to fly after Tutenhawken. "Thrusters!" he shot through the air.

"Aw man, that is so much cooler than a Glider Bike!" Ari cheered as Ethan chased after Tutenhawken, too fast for the Pharaoh's attacks.

"You will never defeat the curse!" Tutenhawken roared as Ethan flew over his head and faced him again.

"Never is a long time baby! Fire!" Ethan shot towards Tutenhawken, blasting him repeatedly and destroyed him. "Sometimes, I just _love _this job," he laughed. The other four cheered him on as he returned to land, his bike switching back. "Now that, was crazy!" the Blue Ranger told them.

"You broke the curse!" Kira smiled at him.

"I sure hope so," Ethan nodded. "I see you're back to normal too," he glanced to Ari, who laughed and nodded. Tutenhawken suddenly reappeared, laughing loudly.

"He's back!" Trent groaned, before Elsa walked towards them.

"Not her too!" Ethan complained loudly.

"I'll handle Elsa," Trent told them, falling into a fighting stance as he faced the woman.

"We'll finish the freak," Connor told him, and he nodded. "Let's try some Triassic power!" Connor called on his shield, and the other three passed their power to it. "Shield of Triumph, activate!" Connor's suit changed, and called on the new Zord. "Mezadon Rover, online!" Tutenhawken blasted them, but they rode straight through.

"Mezadon! Full power!" the four called out, and shot past Tutenhawken, easily destroying him again.

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"I am so sorry about your arm," Ari apologised for the 5th time as she and Xander walked into Hayley's Cyberspace.

"Will you stop?" Xander rolled his eyes. "It's fine," he insisted as they went over to where Connor, Kira and Ethan were playing.

"Watch out, it's the Queen!" Connor pointed at Ari, who scowled at him. "Joking, relax," he laughed.

"I never want anything to do with Ancient Egypt again," she told them, shaking her head.

"I hear that," Ethan nodded. "I'm just glad that stupid curse is broken. It was brutal," he told them.

"I wonder why he said you were like the sun though," Xander spoke up as he leaned against a table.

"Yeah, that is pretty weird," Kira agreed.

"I dunno. Maybe it's something to do with my Dino Powers? I do get its power from the sun," Ari shrugged, not knowing the answer either. "Or maybe cause I'm a Sun Ninja?" she suggested.

"Well, we'll never know the answer now," Ethan chuckled, and Ari frowned, wondering if that was the case.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	18. Disappearing Act

Chapter 18: Disappearing Act

Kira walked to school with Ari skating slowly beside her, humming to herself.

"You know," Kira started as she stopped humming, and Ari glanced at her, having been happily listening. "I still think it's really weird that Ethan's actually going on a date with Cassidy," she commented, and Ari laughed.

"I think I laughed for a good five minutes before I realised that he was serious," she admitted, and Kira grinned. They'd all laughed quite hard at first, much to Ethan's displeasure. "It is a bit weird," she shrugged.

"True. I suppose even those who don't seem anything like each other can find something they like in each other," Kira mused. Ari nodded. "Kinda like you and Xander," she smirked, and Ari let out an irritated groan.

"For the billionth time, we're just friends," she insisted, scowling at Kira as the Yellow Ranger just smirked even more. She had been going on at Ari about her friendship with Xander since Ari had been controlled by Tutenhawken. "And hey," Ari turned to face Kira, rolling along on her board. "So when are you and Trent gonna go out on a date?" Kira stiffened as her face went bright red.

"I don't-"

"That's why you were super grateful that I broke the Gem's hold on him," Ari cut her off, smiling innocently. "Dude, you gotta admit it. Even _Ethan _is going on a date before you two," she teased.

"We're gonna be late," still bright red, Kira walked off.

"We'll talk later!" Ari told her as she skated to catch up, laughing hard.

"Will hell be freezing over?" Kira snapped at her, which only served to make Ari laugh even more. They reached the school with Ari still laughing, and Kira still bright red, threatening to push her off her board.

"Hey guys, what's so funny?" Trent asked as he, Ethan and Connor caught up to the pair.

"Nothing!" Kira snapped at him, taking him by surprise. Ari was doubled over at this point. Ethan rushed off to talk to Cassidy, and the other four chuckled. "It's still weird," managing to stop her blushing, Kira watched the pair as they walked together, talking.

"I hear that," Connor agreed. When Cassidy bounced off, they caught up to the Blue Ranger, who was no longer smiling.

"What was I thinking?" Ethan groaned as Connor put a hand on his shoulders.

"First date jitters?" he smiled sympathetically.

"I wouldn't know," Ethan shrugged as the five walked to school together. "This is my first date ever," he admitted.

"No way," Trent couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Aw, I think it's sweet," Kira spoke up, and when Ari nudged her a little so she stumbled into Trent, both went red and Kira shot Ari a furious glare.

"A 20-gig hard-drive with a 512-meg portable backup is sweet," Ethan corrected her, frowning at the Yellow Ranger as Ari giggled. "This is pure torture," Ethan groaned, terrified.

"Dude, don't sweat," Connor told him with a confident smile. "We'll put you through dating boot-camp! When we're finished, you'll be Cassidy and Casanova!" he told the Blue Ranger.

"Dude, you know who Casanova is?" Ari teased him as she moved around them to walk beside the Red Ranger, aware that Kira was close to hitting her.

"He thinks he is Casanova," Trent grinned, and they laughed.

"Hey, they'll be the power couple of Reefside," Connor frowned at his friends. "Right guys?" Ari, Trent and Kira nodded in agreement as they went inside.

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"Ok class, the crocodile," Doctor Mercer began the class. "Now this amazing reptile has been around millions of years without evolving," he told them as he set a football down on his desk. "It's a testament to the creature's near perfection. It was about a million years..." he stopped suddenly, and swayed, turning away. Everyone looked up from their notes and frowned.

"What's up with him?" Ari wondered quietly as they watched.

"As I was saying," he suddenly turned back around, looking pale. "About a million years ago, the...uh..." he stopped again. "Excuse me for a moment, please," he staggered out of the classroom, and Trent followed him out.

"I knew the guy was weird, but this is a little much isn't it?" Connor frowned to his friends, who shrugged, wondering just what was wrong with the teacher.

1-2-3-4-5

After school ended, the five received a call from Doctor Oliver, and hurried out to his lab.

"So what's the emergency?" Connor asked as they ran in, with him ducking under the still rising door.

"Hey guys," Doctor Oliver greeted as he and Hayley turned around. "Hayley thinks she can demorph me," he explained to them.

"That's great!" the five cheered happily. "How?" Kira asked the important question.

"With a little help from this slime," Hayley gestured to the container filled with green goo that sat in front of the computer. "It might work as a synthesising agent that I think can help bring Tommy back to his normal self," she explained.

A few minutes later, Doctor Oliver stood on a small machine as the others watched from a short distance away. "Ok, I've input your molecular structure and DNA information, so now...to add the slime," Hayley walked over, carrying the slime. "I hope this works," she sighed heavily.

"You're not the only one," Doctor Oliver reminded her.

"Good luck Doctor O," Connor called as they watched Hayley insert the slime.

"Catch you on the flip side..." Doctor Oliver spoke nervously. Hayley switched on the machine, and walked over to stand with the others. They watched as the slime began to pour all over Doctor Oliver, and after a moment his suit shattered, and he seemed to disappear. However, the slime continued to move as if it was sliding off something.

"What's going on?" Connor frowned to Hayley, who looked blank.

"He's gone," Kira stared at the slime as it slowly stopped. After a moment, the slime began to move, and a towel was lifted. "Look, the towel!" Kira pointed at it.

"This is the weirdest thing I have ever seen," Ari summed up, her green eyes wide.

"Doctor Oliver? Are you there?" Connor frowned as he stared at the towel.

"Yeah, I'm here," Doctor Oliver spoke up, seemingly from nowhere. "Hayley, any guesses on what's going on?" he asked the genius.

"It looks like the slime made your Dino power of invisibility kick into overdrive," she explained her theory.

"Great..." Doctor Oliver sighed. "I got my body back, but now no-one can see it," he complained.

"An invisible science teacher," Ethan couldn't help but laugh. "That is so totally graphic novel," he commented.

"Glad you find it funny Ethan," Doctor Oliver spoke dryly, and Ethan tried to contain his excitement as the others grinned a little.

"Is there anything you can do?" Kira asked Hayley as Doctor Oliver moved off, still holding the towel.

"This is a tough one. I have no idea how to counteract that agent," she admitted.

"Don't worry, Doctor Oliver. We'll figure it out," Trent told him with a smile.

"Uh, guys, over here?" they turned around to see the towel floating by the stairs. "There's nothing you can do right now. Hayley and I will work on it," Doctor Oliver told them, sounding a little dejected.

"I guess now is a good time to give Ethan his make-over," Connor smirked, and Ethan's eyes widened.

"But..." he groaned, and they pushed him off, laughing loudly.

1-2-3-4-5

The Rangers all sat in Hayley's Cyberspace, attempting to teach Ethan how to behave on his date. After Kira gave up on what he should wear, he moved onto dancing.

"This is embarrassing," Ari stood up, rolling her eyes. "Connor, let me do it," she instructed.

"What, _you _can dance?" the Red Ranger raised his eyebrows at her.

"As a matter of fact, I can. And just to be safe, I brought in some help," she smirked, and as if on cue, Melody walked in.

"Hey guys," the amber-eyed girl smiled brightly at them. "When I heard about your plan to make Ethan, well, dateable, I volunteered my services," she told them, and they grinned back.

"So you know how to dance too?" Connor asked, and Melody nodded.

"My mother said it was to help me become a 'proper' lady. Or something along those lines," she laughed, tossing her coat on the one of the seats as she walked over to Ari.

"My dad tried to beat the tomboy out of me by having me take dancing lessons with my sister. And piano lessons," Ari added as Connor looked at her.

"I see it worked well," Trent grinned. Ari smirked back.

"Oh yeah, Melody, this is Trent," Ari introduced the pair, and Melody smiled at him. They began to attempt to teach Ethan how to dance, with him either standing on their feet, or tripping and falling. Eventually, he managed to grasp it well enough that the two girls deemed him ready.

"Not so much ready, as my feet can't take anymore," Ari admitted as she and Melody fell onto the sofa beside Kira and Connor. They watched as Trent attempted to teach the Blue Ranger table manners.

"Ok, hold it at the bottom," the White Ranger instructed as he held a bottle and passed Ethan a glass. "Tip the glass, try not to hit the rim, twist," he poured the liquid into the glass, and Ethan nodded, before proceeding to slurp the entire thing. "What are you doing?" Trent sighed at him, and Ethan paused, his mouth full. He shrugged as the others tried to hide their laughter. "First," Trent then lightly tapped his glass against Ethan's. "Cheers," he grinned.

"Well, I think our work here is done," Connor decided.

"You think you're ready?" Kira asked Ethan, who frowned a little.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm feeling pretty good. I can do this," he said, sounding more like he was telling himself as he got to his feet. He walked over to the door, and immediately turned around. "I can't do this. I can't. Can't do it," he sat back down.

"Look, just be yourself, and she can't help but like you," Kira told the Blue Ranger.

"Yeah, it seems to be working so far," Melody smiled at him. "Why else would she have agreed to go out with you?" she pointed out.

"Alright. Be myself. Ethan," he got to his feet, and their morphers beeped. They all froze, and Melody frowned.

"What was that? Some kind of synchronised alarm?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Uh, yeah," Connor nodded.

"What for?" she asked, not understanding when they were just about to send Ethan off.

"Oh, I'm uh...teaching them martial arts!" Ari told her quickly.

"We had practice today?" Connor asked, quickly playing along.

"You're teaching them martial arts? Like..." she trailed off, looking at Trent. While she knew that Connor, Kira and Ethan knew of the Ninja Academies, she was unsure of Trent.

"Ninja stuff, yeah," Ari spoke quickly, and Trent frowned at her, not having a clue what she meant. "We gotta go, we'll be back in like an hour," she told the 19 year old, and they quickly ran off.

"Ari, what do you mean Ninja stuff?" Trent asked as they ran out of the café.

"Sorry Trent, I have stuff to tell you, but it'll have to wait!" Ari told him, and he frowned.

"I'll check in with Doctor O anyway," he told the four others.

"You lucked out," Connor told Ethan as they hurried to see what the problem was.

1-2-3-4-5

Morphed and riding through town on their bikes, Connor, Kira, Ari and Ethan rode up to where a new monster was attacking.

"I'm invincible!" he declared, before turning around as he heard them approach.

"Giant thorny thing. Looks about right," Connor nodded as they climbed off their bikes. "Hey, didn't your mother teach you to play nice with others?" he called to the monster.

"I'll show you what she taught me!" Thornox roared at them. The four Rangers ran to fight him, and he swung a green light that wrapped around them. The lights faded, and revealed vines that restrained them.

"Oh man!" Ethan groaned.

"Alright, now what?" Kira asked as she struggled.

"That's why you've got me," Ari giggled, and managed to move her arms so she was able to conjure an energy-ball. It burned right through the vines, and she tossed small ones at her friends, which cut them free as well. Thornox cried out in horror.

"Tyranno Staff!" Connor swung his weapon, but Thornox grabbed it and hit Connor with it. The Red Ranger flew through the air, and landing on his back.

"Think I'll try out my swing!" the monster decided as the others ran over to him. "Don't try this at home!" he hunched over, giggling.

"Golf?" Ethan gulped.

"Look out!" Kira yelled, and when Thornox hit the ball, it split into four, and slammed into the four Rangers.

"See you in the clubhouse!" he laughed, and disappeared.

"Oh man! I'm late for my date!" Ethan realised. "Wish me luck!" he called as he ran off.

"_That's _what he's worried about?" Ari laughed as she looked to her friends.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey Mels, sorry about that!" Ari met up with the Fire Ninja back at Hayley's Cyberspace. Melody looked up from her phone quickly, and put it away quickly. "Talking to someone?" she asked innocently, and was surprised when Melody blushed a little.

"N-no," she stuttered.

"Huh..." Ari tilted her head at the blatant lie, before smiling. "Ok," she seemed to accept it, and put her hands behind her back. "You want a milkshake?" she asked, and Melody nodded, still red. Ari bounced off, and the older girl breathed out. "It's Cam, isn't it?" a minute later, Melody jumped and looked around quickly as Ari stood behind her, holding the milkshakes in her hands.

"Wh-what? No, of...of course not!" she laughed nervously as her blushing intensified. "Why would I be texting Cam?" she asked quickly, trying to sound dismissive of the idea.

"Oh...cause I figured you liked him," Ari spoke innocently as she set down their drinks. Melody lowered her head. "It's ok to like him you know, I mean it's pretty obvious he likes you too," the Fire Ninja looked up as Ari sat down beside her.

"He...he does?" Melody frowned at her a little, but there was hope in her eyes. Ari giggled, nodding.

"Of course, how could he not?" she teased her friend. "You should ask him out," she prodded her, and Melody lifted her drink as she thought about it.

"Yeah, I think I might do that," she nodded, and Ari smiled at her as Melody smiled back. "Thanks Ari," she said, taking a drink of her milkshake. Ari just shrugged as she did the same.

"I didn't do much. Just sped some things along, cause heaven knows how long you'd have waited to ask him out," she grinned as Melody blushed.

"I was kind of hoping he'd ask _me _out," she admitted, and Ari laughed.

"Now you would definitely be waiting a while for that. Cam's the best and all, but not really one to do the asking out," Melody couldn't help but laugh at Ari's words.

"Speaking of which, how do you think Ethan is doing on his date?" she asked the Gold Ranger.

"Hopefully, he's doing ok..." Ari grinned, wondering just how well the idea of Ethan being himself would go. "Just as long as he doesn't go into Geek Mode, everything will be fine," she nodded, and Melody couldn't help but laugh.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey guys, how's the date going?" after Melody had gone back to the Flame Academy, Ari had decided to join her friends in monitoring Ethan's date with Cassidy.

"He went Geek Mode," Connor growled, and Ari groaned, putting a hand to her face.

"Definitely a bad idea to tell him to be himself," she determined. They watched as the conversation turned awkward, before Ethan accidentally spilled the cider on Cassidy. "This is not good," Ari shook her head, biting her lip as Ethan looked at his feet, dejected.

"He's having a complete meltdown," Connor groaned.

"This is so sad to watch," Trent sighed, having been leaning on the console beside Kira the entire time.

"Doctor O? Is there anything we can do to help him?" Kira asked.

"Doctor O is here?" Ari asked, looking around before remembering that he was now invisible. When there was no reply to Kira's question, they looked around. "Doctor Oliver?" Ari called, but there was no response.

"Where'd he go?" Kira asked, frowning and looking around. Her frown dropped and she and Trent went red as they found their faces very close together. Ari put her hand over her mouth to attempt to contain her laughter as Connor smirked.

"Hey, check it out," Connor then distracted them all when he saw the candles seemingly light themselves. Ethan looked very confused, and a bouquet of flowers floated behind Cassidy's back and landed beside Ethan, who then held them out to Cassidy. The blonde smiled, delighted at the gift, completely oblivious to Ethan's confusion.

"I think Ethan might be getting a little help," Kira realised with a grin.

"You think?" Trent laughed, his eyes still on Kira as they laughed.

"Who would have guessed that Doctor O was such a romantic?" Connor grinned as their invisible teacher turned on the CD player, and Ethan and Cassidy began to dance. However, as soon as they started, several Tyrannodrones appeared, surrounding the pair.

"Just when Ethan was starting to calm down," Ari groaned, and after Cassidy ran off, Ethan morphed and fought off the monsters, with Doctor Oliver's help.

"We gotta help him," Kira looked up at Connor, just before the alarm beeped, and the video changed to Thornox as he appeared.

"We gotta take care of these guys first," Connor groaned, and they moved away from the computer.

"WHITE THUNDER, DINO POWER!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"DINO POWER!" the four met up with the monster, who immediately called on Tyrannodrones.

"Get them!" Thornox ordered, and the Rangers began to fight off the monsters easily, and Thornox let out a growl. "Time to get thorny!" he cried out, and blue lights surrounded him. When they faded, his appearance had changed, making him look even more powerful.

"Whoa!"

"Now you'll see the _point_!" he laughed, and joined the battle, while Trent continued battling the Tyrannodrones, the other three focused on the plant monster. He attacked Kira, and with one blow knocked her through the air. "You're no match for tree!" Thornox declared.

"Stop with the stupid puns!" Ari pleaded as she attacked him, only to be thrown through the air as well. He then attacked Connor, and the Red Ranger cried out as he fell to the ground.

"Too easy!" Thornox declared.

"We're just getting started," Connor growled, and Thornox laughed, only to be blasted from the sky.

"Have no fear, Blue Ranger's here!" Ethan declared as he flew towards the battle on his Hovercraft Cycle. He flew through the air, and blasted Thornox again, flying past the plant monster.

"Sneaky!" Thornox cried out as he got to his feet. Ethan leapt off his bike, landing in front of Thornox as he got to his feet.

"Who wants to go?" Ethan challenged.

"Nice entrance," Kira told the Blue Ranger as they ran over to him.

"Let's take it to the next level!" Connor called. "Super Dino Mode!" they changed forms, ready to fight.

"You'll never get rid of this thorn in your side!" Thornox told them.

"We'll see about that!"

"You're about to have the pruning of your life!" Kira yelled, ready to take him down.

"We're through playing nice!" Ethan nodded. They leapt through the air and easily fought off Thornox, who cried out as their blows damaged him, despite his stronger armour. He staggered backwards, and they stood together, calling on their Z-Rex Blaster.

"Ready?"

"Aim!"

"Fire!" they blasted Thornox, who screamed as he was blown up. The rest of the Tyrannodrones disappeared, and Thornox grew.

"Talk about Miracle-Gro!" the monster laughed as he towered over them.

"It's Zord time!" Connor called on their Zords. The Brachio appeared, carrying their Zords with him, and they formed their Megazord. Thornox flipped through the air and kicked their Megazord, knocking them back.

"Try to stop me now!" Thornox laughed.

"Oh, we will!" Ari growled. Thornox spun, kicking them again and they cried out.

"Guys, we have to focus!" Connor told his friends.

"Right!" they nodded, only to be blasted again. They cried out, falling backwards as Thornox laughed.

"Time to go Triassic!" Connor raised the shield, and the other three summoned their energy to power it, and call on the Mezadon Rover as Connor's suit changed. He moved over to the other Megazord, and the other three continued to pilot the Thundersaurus Megazord.

"Let's finish this!" Ari called.

"Wheel Spin Attack!" Connor activated his Megazord's powerful attack, blasting Thornox.

"Tyanno Tail!" the other Megazord leapt through the air, and finished off Thornox in one strike.

1-2-3-4-5

"So Melody finally asked Cam out?" Kira asked Ari as they, plus Connor and Trent, walked into Hayley's Cyberspace.

"Yep," Ari nodded with a wide grin. "He has a suspicion that I was involved. Which, of course, I would never be," she looked innocent, making the pair laugh.

"Of course not," Kira nodded, playing along.

"You'd never guess it with the way she acts," Trent chuckled.

"Ari, you are some kind of evil puppet-master sometimes," Connor told her, and Ari giggled, her innocent façade ruined. They walked over to Ethan, who was sitting in front of his laptop. "Dude, what are you doing here?" the Red Ranger asked, making Ethan look up. "Not gonna finish your big date?" he asked.

"Oh, that," Ethan sighed. "Cassidy's great, but I found out we don't have that much in common," Ethan shrugged.

"I coulda told you that," Kira smirked.

"I think we all could have," Ari grinned.

"Plus, I'm a Ranger. I gotta be ready to go whenever duty calls. I don't know how to tell her it's over..." Ethan sighed, looking up at his friends. "I think she really likes me," he mumbled.

"Better think of something quick," Trent warned, leaning close to him as Cassidy walked over. "I'm gonna go see if Hayley needs some help in the back," he then suggested.

"Oh, me too. Guys, there's some pretty big boxes, can you help?" Ari glanced to Connor and Kira.

"Sure!" Kira nodded, shoving Connor along and to the back. They all peeked out, watching as Cassidy seemed to do most of the talking.

"Hey, did anyone else consider that maybe Cassidy would decide to put her reporter career first?" Ari spoke up as they watched Ethan turn and grin, before forcing himself to calm down and turn back to the blonde.

"Looks like she's not too broken up about it," Kira grinned as they watched Cassidy smile brightly at Ethan, and they all laughed quietly, trying not to be seen.

* * *

**Hope you liked it!**

**Please review!**


	19. Fighting Spirit

Chapter 19: Fighting Spirit

"Sup Hayley?" Ethan called as they walked into the lab. "Where's Doctor O?" he asked, looking around before remembering. It had been a few days since Hayley and Doctor Oliver had found slime that had managed to allow Doctor Oliver to demorph, but had left him invisible in the process.

"Yeah. Not that we'd be able to see him if he was here," Kira grinned.

"Hey guys!" they looked around to see gym equipment moving seemingly by itself.

"I'll never get used to that," Kira stared at it.

"Hey, Doctor O...no offence, but what's the point of building your biceps, if nobody's gonna see them?" Connor asked with a raised eyebrow. There was a loud clang as Doctor Oliver stopped.

"That's the reason I called you here," he told them. "Hayley finally found a way to bring me back to normal," a towel floated into the air, and moved towards them.

"That's great!" Kira smiled brightly.

"Let's get started then!" Ari cheered.

"Hold on everybody," Hayley sighed heavily, sounding irritated as she walked past them. "Tommy, I told you, I think the re-moleculiser _may _make you visible again, but I haven't found a power source strong enough for it yet," she told him. The four teenagers exchanged looks. It seemed they had been talking a lot about it.

"I've been thinking about that," a box then floated over to Hayley. "Maybe we should use this," Doctor Oliver suggested. Frowning, Hayley took the box and opened it to reveal the Black Dino Gem.

"No way! Forget it!" Hayley told him sharply.

"We gotta try something," Doctor Oliver told her, sounding a little desperate. "My Dino Gem is the most powerful source of energy we have," he pointed out.

"Powerful being the operative word!" Hayley growled. "I have _no _idea how your body will react to it. It's way too risky!" she shook her head.

"Hayley...we don't have a choice," Doctor Oliver reminded her softly. Hayley sighed, but knew that she wasn't going to be able to stop the Black Ranger.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok Hayley, I'm ready," a little while later, Doctor Oliver was lying on a table as the Rangers prepared to start the machine. Still looking furious, Hayley threw a sheet over him.

"For the record, I still think this is a bad idea," she told the teacher.

"And for the record, I agree with Hayley," Kira spoke up.

"Same here," Ari agreed, watching with worried eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Doctor Oliver insisted, but it did little to calm them.

"See you soon Doctor O..." Ethan gulped as he and Kira held up the patches that would be used to turn him visible again. "Literally, I hope," he added.

"Ok..." Hayley placed the container that held the Dino Gem into the machine.

"Good to go," Doctor Oliver told her as she glanced over to where he lay. Hayley breathed out, and activated the machine as the Rangers stood back.

"Initiating sequence," Hayley activated it, and Doctor Oliver let out a groan as his breathing quickened. The machine let out a bang, and began to smoke. "It's overloading!" Hayley realised in horror, before it made another bang.

"What's it doing?" Ari asked, barely able to look away from their thrashing teacher.

"The energy attenuator has shut down! He's receiving full current!" the machine exploded, and Hayley quickly turned it off. There was another explosion, and when Hayley looked at the Dino Gem, she found it had split into three pieces. "His Dino Gem's destroyed," she told the Rangers, before Doctor Oliver reappeared and they ran over to the unconscious teacher. "Tommy? Tommy, can you hear me?" Hayley tried to wake him, but nothing happened.

1-2-3-4-5

Having had no other option, Hayley and the Rangers brought Doctor Oliver to the hospital.

"What's wrong with him, doctor?" Hayley asked as the doctor approached them, reading what was on his clipboard, before sighing.

"I have no idea, Hayley," he admitted. "His vitals are stable, but his brain patterns are wildly erratic," he explained to the five as they stared down at the Black Ranger.

"Can you get him out of it?" Kira asked hopefully.

"We're trying, but he's not responding to anything," the doctor shrugged.

"He'll be ok, won't he?" Ari asked as she looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I'm not going to lie to you. The longer he stays like this...the more at risk he is," he told them gently.

"Thanks, Doctor Walsh," Kira spoke up when the other four just looked back down at their teacher.

"Your friend is going to get the best care possible," the doctor promised, and walked off. They were all silent, horrified at how badly the attempt to make him visible had gone.

"_Breaking news_!" they all jumped and looked at the TV as a news report showed a monster attacking the city. "_The city is under attack by a terrifying creature! Citizens are advised to stay indoors until further notice_!" the reporter declared as people ran from the scene.

"Great..." Ari huffed, barely feeling the will to fight when their teacher was fighting for his life.

"I'll stay with him," Hayley said.

"We'll be back as soon as we can!" Connor told the red-head, and led the way from the hospital to their next fight.

1-2-3-4-5

The Terrorsaurus that was attacking the city laughed as he chased away more screaming people, before he was blasted by the lasers on Connor's bike.

"At last!" he laughed, unaffected by the attack. "Just who I wanted to see!" the monster called as Connor shot towards him on his bike. He blasted the Red Ranger with energy from his horn, and the Red Ranger cried out as his bike flew through the air. "Tyranno Staff!" he called on his weapon and leapt from his bike. He began to fight off the Terrorsaurus, but was knocked to the ground by more red energy.

"Fire lasers!" Kira, Ethan and Ari flew towards him on their bikes, but it didn't do any damage to the monster. He blasted Connor off his feet again, and the Red Ranger crashed straight into Ari, knocking her from her bike. They both crashed to the ground as Kira and Ethan attempted to attack him, but were attacked as well.

"Fire!"

"Trent!" Connor looked up as the White Ranger appeared on his ATV. He blasted the Terrorsaurus, who staggered backwards.

"Great, another one!" the monster recovered and blasted Trent, knocking him off his ATV.

"Trent!" Kira cried as the White Ranger demorphed, crying out in pain as his morpher sparked. The Terrorsaurus laughed loudly, and blasted Ethan off his feet. When Connor, Kira and Ari ran towards him, the monster spun around and blasted them with the energy from his horn.

"This is too easy!" he laughed. With pained groans, they demorphed as well, their morphers sparking.

"Hovercraft Cycle!" Ethan called on his much faster bike.

"Bring it!" the Terrorsaurus roared. Ethan raced towards him, changing his bike's form. He then flew through the air, blasting him.

"Back off freak!" Ethan darted through the air, but the monster leapt onto the back of his bike and attacked him, throwing him off and to the ground, where he demorphed.

"Ethan!" the five regrouped as they helped Ethan up. "This guy has worked my last nerve!" Connor growled.

"Let's finish this then!" Ari frowned at the monster.

"Ready?"

"WHITE RANGER!"

"DINO THUNDER!"

"POWER UP, HA!" they all activated their morphers, but nothing happened. They pressed their morphers again, but they didn't react.

"Oh no..." Ari groaned as she pressed it several times.

"What's going on?" Connor asked, looking to his friends.

"That thing fried our morphing energy!" Ethan realised.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Terrorsaurus laughed mockingly, before leaping into the air and flying off.

"He's gone!" Connor groaned.

"Hey guys!" they looked around quickly as Cassidy and Devin ran over. "Oh my goodness!" Cassidy stared at them as she saw them covered in dirt, bruises and cuts. "What happened to you guys?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Things are a bit fuzzy, but I'd say a giant mutant attack," Kira shrugged.

"You know, same old, same old," Ari nodded, and winced as it hurt.

"Didn't the Power Rangers come to help you out?" Cassidy frowned at them, not understanding.

"No, I guess they couldn't make it," Trent gave a weak laugh.

"Yeah, no Power Rangers anywhere near here," Connor spoke up.

"That's weird...they normally show up when anyone needs them," Devin commented, looking confused.

"Well, maybe they're at the Laundromat, washing those shiny suits?" Kira nodded, and Ari couldn't help but giggle as Cassidy frowned, still very confused.

1-2-3-4-5

"Any news Doctor? Is there anything you can tell us?" not long after the Rangers returned to the hospital to check on Hayley and Doctor Oliver, the doctor returned.

"I'm sorry Hayley," Doctor Walsh shook his head sadly after checking the monitors hooked up to the Black Ranger. "No change," he offered an apologetic smile and walked off.

"I wish there was something we could do," Kira mumbled. "I feel completely helpless," she sighed.

"We all do," Trent told her gently, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "But he'll be fine," he insisted as she looked up at him in surprise.

"Doctor Oliver's pretty tough Kira," Connor spoke up with a reassuring smile. "He gave me a C-Minus on my term paper," his words made the others smile.

"Pretty sure he was feeling lenient when he did that," Ari smirked at him, and the others laughed lightly.

"_Breaking news! The creature is back_!" the TV announced, wiping the smirks from their faces.

"I had a feeling he'd be back," Ethan grumbled.

"And there's nothing we can do about it," Trent muttered angrily. When Kira squeezed his hand back, he looked down, as if he'd forgotten.

"_Where are the Power Rangers_?" the reporter questioned. After a moment, Ari started walking towards the door, taking them by surprise.

"Ari, where are you going?" Hayley frowned at her, and Ari stopped in the doorway.

"To fight the Terrorsaurus and stop him from hurting innocent people," she replied simply, as if this were obvious.

"But Ari, we don't have our powers!" Kira told her as loudly as she dared.

"We may not have power, but we're still the Power Rangers," Ari turned to the Yellow Ranger. "I'm still a Ninja, we all still have our Dino Powers. We can still fight," she told them stubbornly.

"_Again I ask, where are the Power Rangers_?" the reporter asked as people fell over each other trying to escape.

"That's it!" Connor growled, frustrated with the news report. "I'm with Ari on this one," the Gold Ranger smiled brightly at the jock. "You guys can stay here and watch this, but I can't," he told the other three.

"Hold up!" Ethan followed him quickly.

"We're going with you," Kira agreed, releasing Trent's hand to follow her friends, and the White Ranger followed behind her as Hayley watched with wide eyes.

"Wait! You don't stand a chance without your powers!" Hayley told them.

"That wouldn't stop Doctor O! And it's not going to stop us either," Ethan called back, and they hurried off to fight Terrorsaurus again.

1-2-3-4-5

The monster appeared in the quarry, laughing as the five ran towards him.

"Alright freak, we're gonna stop you, right here and now," Connor growled at the monster.

"Tough talk from a bunch of powerless Rangers!" Terrorsaurus mocked them. Instead of responding to his taunt, the Rangers ran at him, avoiding the attacks he shot from the spike on his chest, but one finally hit the ground in front of them, and the five crashed to the ground. "You're through!" he told them. They got to their feet and attacked him, throwing punches and kicks that bounced harmlessly off his armour. "This is pathetic!" he yelled, growing irritated with their attempts to stop him.

"I've had enough of this," Ari got up and revealed her Ninja uniform, streaking towards the Terrorsaurus. While her attacks did very little, the combined power of each strike pushed him back slowly, before he managed to catch her and toss her to the ground, before blasting the others off their feet.

"Want to tell me how you did that?" Trent groaned from beside Ari.

"I suppose now is as good a time as ever to tell you that I've been a Ranger before," Ari moaned as she tried to push herself back to her feet.

"What, really?" Trent stared at her.

"Yeah, it's true. We saw the video," Kira nodded.

"Doctor O too," Ethan spoke up, a hand on his chest.

"It's over!" Terrorsaurus declared as they attempted to get up, before a familiar figure kicked him and knocked him to the ground.

"Doctor O!" Connor laughed as he saw their teacher standing in front of them. They managed to get to their feet as they grinned at the Black Ranger, who was now unmorphed, visible, and conscious.

"You're alive!" Kira smiled brightly.

"And visible!" Ari laughed.

"Not for long," Terrorsaurus snarled. Doctor Oliver's small smile dropped, and he turned to face the monster. His morpher revealed itself, and he grabbed its key.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" he morphed into his black suit. "Brachio Power!"

"Big deal!" Terrorsaurus blasted him, but Doctor Oliver dodged it and kicked him back.

"Super Dino Mode!" Doctor Oliver called out, and his suit changed. The gold spikes on his suit became real, and his power grew.

"Whoa, when did he get Super Dino Powers?" Connor laughed.

"I don't know, but he picked a good time to bust 'em out!" Ethan grinned.

"Go Doctor O!" Ari cheered. Terrorsaurus attempted to blast him again, but the Black Ranger dodged and leapt at him. He attacked from up close, easily outmatching the Terrorsaurus in both speed and strength. He lifted the monster into the air, and tossed him into the side of the cliff.

"Brachio Staff! Energy Orb, now!" he then called on his weapon, and with a powerful circular attack, he destroyed the monster. A strange white stone flew through the air, and shattered when it hit the ground. Five lights flew from it, and returned to the other Rangers' morphers.

"Sweet, we got out powers back!" Ethan laughed as he looked down at his morpher.

"Doctor O!"

"Ok, what was that about?" Connor asked as they ran over to their teacher.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the Black Ranger told them, before jumping as a loud voice rang out.

"You didn't think I'd give up that easily, did you?" Terrorsaurus asked as he grew.

"Think you four can finish this guy?" Doctor Oliver asked as he looked to his students.

"Totally," Connor nodded as his morpher changed.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" they morphed, calling on their Zords. They landed in front of the Terrorsaurus, but as they ran at him, he blasted them and knocked them to the ground.

"If Doctor Oliver can win his fight, so can we!" Kira told her friends.

"You're right Kira!" Ethan nodded.

"Let's give it everything we've got!" Connor shouted. "Super Dino Mode!" they called on their much greater powers and empowered their Megazord. "Dino Drill! Full power!" they shot through the air and destroyed the Terrorsaurus.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok...let me get this straight," Ethan started as the five teenagers stood in front of Doctor Oliver. "Three of your old Ranger powers came to you in a dream?"

"And you had to fight them to get your life back?" Connor spoke up, looking excited.

"This is awesome!" Ethan cheered as he, Kira, Trent and Connor started talking at once.

"Let the man breath, he's just out of a coma," Ari giggled as she made her way through a box of strawberries.

"Guys," Doctor Oliver laughed. "I just want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart, for hanging in with me through all this," he smiled at them as they fell quiet. "For hanging in there with me, through all this. It was tough, but you guys came through. It means a lot to me," he told them gratefully.

"He's right. You should be really proud of yourselves," Hayley spoke up. When Connor sniffed, the Rangers all looked at him quickly.

"Are you crying?" Ethan realised.

"No!" Connor looked at him as if he were crazy. "We're just really glad to have you back Doctor O!" the Red Ranger told him quickly, going red as the others laughed. "I'm not crying! Ari's crying!" he quickly pointed to Ari, and they looked at her.

"What? I'm a crybaby, it's expected of me!" Ari defended as she wiped her eyes, going red. Kira just hugged the girl as Doctor Oliver laughed at their antics.

**So I got a bit distracted all week catching up with Warehouse 13 and watching the Scorpion King 2 for the millionth time so yeah...here you go!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	20. The Passion of Connor

Chapter 20: The Passion of Connor

Skating into the school grounds and quickly jumping off her board, Ari lifted the still rolling board into her arms and starting walking towards the school building.

"Hey Ari!" she looked around as Trent caught up to her, and she smiled brightly. "No Kira with you?" the White Ranger asked, looking around for the girl. Since Ari was living with Kira for the school year, they generally always came to school together.

"She forgot her homework and told me to go on ahead," Ari told him with a shrug. "Why? You miss her already?" she teased him with a wide grin, and Trent rolled his eyes, but was unable to hide his blush.

"I saw you guys yesterday, don't be stupid," he told her, and Ari laughed.

"Yeah but you can still miss someone even if it's only been a few hours since you last saw her," Ari told him, and Trent didn't miss the use of the word 'her'. He chose to ignore it, walking on. "You know, you should ask her out," the White Ranger tripped and almost fell as Ari spoke innocently.

"Ari, I don't care that you're my team-mate and have already saved the world once, I will hurt you," he warned her, looking around to ensure that no-one was listening to their conversation. After their fight with Terrorsaurus which had already been 2 months ago, Ari had explained everything to Trent.

"You can't hurt me," Ari replied simply.

"And why's that?" Trent growled at her. Ari smirked, and turned around.

"Connor!" Ari cried out, and ran over to the Red Ranger, who had been approaching from behind Trent. "Trent said he's gonna hurt me!" she wailed, and Connor frowned at their friend as he hugged Ari.

"But I-she-but..." Trent spluttered, staring at the Gold Ranger. "You really are a demon," he told her, and Ari winked at him when Connor was frowning at Trent.

"I'll agree to that," Ethan chuckled as he walked up.

"No hurting Ari," Connor warned, and with a huff, Trent nodded. They walked into the school, and Connor sighed dreamily as he slowed to a stop. "There she is, the future Mrs Connor McKnight," he smiled as he gazed at a girl with long brown hair.

"Uh, you might wanna give yourself a little reality check just once," Ethan told him as Ari and Trent laughed.

"Dude, don't be a hater!" Connor told the Blue Ranger. "Just because I've got the magic," he smirked at his friend.

"I'm with Ethan on this one, Siegfried," Trent spoke up. "I know Krista from math class. She's kinda deep, and you're...well..." he trailed off.

"Not deep?" Ethan grinned.

"I didn't wanna say it," Trent chuckled. Ari giggled as Connor glared at them.

"You guys are supposed to back me up, remember?" he told them. "Where's the love?" he asked.

"Well, if memory serves me correctly..." Ari smirked. "Last week, the future Mrs Connor McKnight was that girl who sat two seats behind you in history," Ethan and Trent started laughing as Connor went red.

"You keep quiet, or I'll let Trent hurt you," he told the Gold Ranger, who hid behind Ethan as Trent smirked at her. "Now observe," with a confident grin, he walked over to the girl, who was putting up flyers. "Krista, right?" he asked, and she glanced at him for a second.

"Yep, that's me," she nodded, returning her gaze to the flyers.

"Hey, wait!" Connor stopped her as she went to walk away. "I wanted to ask you about...your poster," he told her, and with a sigh, she handed him one. "So there's a tree that needs saving?" he asked her.

"Yeah, behind the school. It's over 100 years old, and Randall wants to tear it out to make a new parking lot," Krista rolled her eyes in disgust.

"That seems like such an injustice!" Connor exclaimed as the other three Rangers continued to snigger.

"It's a crime against nature!" Krista told him loudly. "This tree has been part of the eco-system longer than any of us have even been here! Dozens of creatures depend on it!" she told him as Connor stared at the passionate girl.

"Where do I sign up?" he asked her with a smile.

"Really? You wanna help?" Krista seemed surprised.

"Yeah! Just tell me what to do," Connor insisted. Trent, Ethan and Ari exchanged looks, wondering just how far Connor was going to go.

1-2-3-4-5

"You really eat a lot of those," Trent commented as he sat with Ari and Kira, as Ari ate her way through a box of strawberries.

"It's an addiction," Ari shrugged.

"Most people have addictions to like, chocolate or something," Kira grinned. Ari just shrugged again and continued eating. "Man, I can't believe he's actually doing this," Kira shook her head as they watched Connor with the protest group who were attempting to save the tree.

"Uh oh," Trent noticed Krista stop beside Ethan and Connor, and snap at Connor before storming off.

"Busted already? That's gotta be a new record," Ari laughed.

"Get those men working!" Randall's voice suddenly echoed through the grounds. They looked around to see her with a megaphone, glaring at the protesters. "I have permits!" she barked, and with a sigh one of the workers climbed into his digger. When Krista refused to move out of his way, the worker climbed out, but accidentally hit the release lever. Using his superspeed, Connor tackled her out of the way.

"Oh, I think he's just won her back," Kira commented, all of them on their feet.

"Guys, get to class," they looked around as Doctor Oliver ran past, and they sighed. They watched as their teacher ran over to Randall.

"Everybody out of here!" Randall suddenly barked. "Go on, shoo!" she yelled, and everyone quickly scattered.

1-2-3-4-5

After they had finished their homework, Ethan, Ari, Trent and Kira relaxed in Hayley's Cyberspace, taking it easy.

"I can't believe how far Connor's gone just to get this girl," Kira shook her head as she spoke to Ethan, who was only half paying attention as he played a new game.

"Well she is the future 'Mrs Connor McKnight'," Trent smirked, his eyes closed as he leaned back on the sofa beside her, his milkshake resting in his hand.

"Yeah, but come on, pretending to be interested in that tree? That seems pretty low, even for Connor," Kira sighed as she watched Connor and Krista talk.

"He'll get over it in a few days," Ari yawned, a book resting on her face as she sprawled across an armchair.

"Where are the Power Rangers? I have to find the Power Rangers!" Devin's panicked words made them all look up quickly, attempting not to react more. The boy ran over to Cassidy, grabbing her and turning her around to face him.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Cassidy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but this time it's serious!" Devin whimpered. "I was _attacked_, by that freak Zeltrax! He's looking for the Rangers, but it gets worse!" he told her, loud enough for the four to eavesdrop.

"How could it get worse?" Cassidy asked in a bored voice.

"He stole the tree!" he yelled as they walked out. Krista got up, and after arguing with Connor, she ran out, and Connor went to follow her.

"Dude, you know where we have to go," Ethan told him before he could.

"Yeah I know," Connor sighed.

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"Just what does Zeltrax want with a tree? I know it's over 100 years old and all that, but still," Ari frowned as they stood in Doctor Oliver's lab.

"I can answer that," Hayley spoke up, and hit a button on the computer. The screen brought up footage of bubbling water, and they all frowned. "The tree must be growing over a life-force spring," she explained.

"You're talking about a fountain of youth?" Ethan gaped.

"Those are _real_?" Connor was equally amazed.

"Apparently this one is," Doctor Oliver nodded.

"So that's what kept the tree alive so long!" Kira realised.

"Not only that," Hayley shook her head. The Rangers frowned, curious. "The sap, being nourished for years by the spring's waters, must have amazing powers of its own," she told them, worried.

"That must be what Zeltrax is after," Trent realised.

"And Mesogog won't be happy that he's taken it for himself," Ari spoke up.

"Look, it's Krista!" only a few minutes later, Kira spotted the screen change to show the girl walk up to where the tree had been. Connor immediately ran off, and after glancing to the others, Doctor Oliver ran after him.

"You know, Krista's love for that tree is pretty awesome," Ari smiled, and the others who still stood with her glanced to the Gold Ranger. "Not counting how she's pretty much putting herself in danger when she should be leaving it up to us. But just her whole determination to protect it, it's really inspiring," she commented.

"You're right," Kira nodded, agreeing with the taller girl. When the computer beeped, they looked up, and Doctor Oliver and Connor ran back in.

"What's up? Is it Zeltrax?" Doctor Oliver asked quickly.

"No, but it looks like some of his old friends are throwing him a party," the screen showed a large hoard of Triptoids.

"We can handle the Triptoids," Connor nodded confidently.

"Trent, you stay here in case Zeltrax makes an appearance," Doctor Oliver instructed.

"You got it," the White Ranger walked over and took a seat at the computer, ready to jump into battle when needed. Doctor Oliver and the others quickly ran off to find the Triptoids and Elsa.

1-2-3-4-5

"You're so predictable," it wasn't difficult to find their enemies. Elsa rolled her eyes as she faced the four teenage Rangers. "I knew I could count on you to show up! Attack!" she roared. The Rangers attempted to fight off the Triptoids, but their sheer number meant that the four were quickly overwhelmed.

"Forgot about me?" Doctor Oliver appeared, joining the fight.

"What's gotten into these guys? They're on fire!" Connor cried out as he was restrained by the strange creatures.

"Time to put the fire out!" Doctor Oliver put his hand to one of the creature's chests, and light shot out.

"What are you doing?" Kira called out as she saw him.

"Use your Dino Gem power!" Doctor Oliver told them. "It creates an energy that will deactivate the Triptoids!" he explained.

"Yeah it works!" Connor realised when he touched one.

"Well that makes this so much easier!" Ari laughed as she did the same.

"Then maximise your Dino Power!" Doctor Oliver called as he was shoved back. The five then called on even more power, and the creatures started to glow, before disappearing. "You've been deserted!" the Black Ranger called to Elsa, who glared at him furiously as the other four cheered.

"You might have beaten the Triptoids, but my master will have eternal life as soon as I get that tree back!" Elsa promised.

"Too late!" they looked up quickly. "You're all too late!" Zeltrax declared, and everyone was blasted by his powers. They barely managed to stay on their feet, as Zeltrax appeared between the Rangers and Elsa. His armour had completely changed, making him look even more intimidating.

"Well that's creepy," Ari grumbled as they got ready to fight.

"Zeltrax!" Elsa growled.

"Yes, I'm back and better than ever!" the machine declared. "And this time, I am not alone!" they looked around as the monster that had been created from the tree appeared, towering over them.

"Krista's tree!" Connor groaned.

"Not good," Ethan gulped as he took a step back.

"It's over Rangers," Zeltrax told them confidently.

"Whoa, who's in charge here?" Ethan groaned.

"I am, and no-one will stop me!" Zeltrax told him loudly. Elsa quickly escaped, leaving the Rangers to face Zeltrax and his monster.

"I'll take care of Zeltrax, you know what to do," Doctor Oliver told the Rangers, who nodded. Calling on their Megazord, the Rangers also called on the Mezadon Rover, and began to fight off Deadwood. However, he was powerful, and knocked both Megazords down.

"That's one tough tree!" Connor groaned.

"_Connor_-" Doctor Oliver was quickly cut off. "_Connor, combine all the Zords to form the Tricera-Max Megazord_!" once Trent had stepped in to help fight Zeltrax, Doctor Oliver spoke up again.

"Come on Connor, you've got this!" Ari cheered. The Dino Zords all appeared, and combined with the Mezadon Rover, creating an even more powerful Megazord.

"Sweet!"

"Now that's a Zord," Kira nodded in approval.

"You're going down tree!" Connor yelled. "Turbo Fire!" with one blast, Connor destroyed the monster.

"We need to get down there and help!" Ari saw Zeltrax easily overpowering Doctor Oliver and Trent. The four leapt out of their Megazords and stood in front of their friends, ready to fight.

"You played right into my hands!" Zeltrax told them as he lifted part of the wreckage that had been the tree. "Eternal life is mine!" he blasted the Rangers off their feet, and they cried out, before disappearing.

1-2-3-4-5

Realising that Zeltrax was going back to the spring to use the spring, combined with the tree fragment, Connor had run ahead to save Krista, remembering that the girl was there. By the time the other Rangers had caught up with him, Connor had called on a completely new level of power, and saved Krista.

"Wow, that battilizer is awesome!" Ari couldn't but laugh as they watched Connor easily overpower Zeltrax.

"Battilizer?" Kira raised an eyebrow at the Gold Ranger.

"Yeah, Shane had one too. It's power was incredible!" Ari nodded, and they watched Connor kick Zeltrax off the cliff, and knock him to the ground hard.

"Had enough?" Connor asked.

"Never!" Zeltrax forced himself up.

"You asked for it!" Connor told him. "Dragon Yo-Yo! Fire!" he swung spinning fire at Zeltrax, slamming it into him before blasting him with cannons that appeared over his shoulders.

"Dude, that rocked!" Ethan told the Red Ranger as they ran over to him.

"Thanks," Connor grinned. Hearing a growl, they all looked around quickly to find that Zeltrax had survived, but his armour had returned to normal.

"This is only a small set-back, you can be sure of that!" he warned them, and disappeared in a flash of red.

"We'll be ready!" Connor promised him.

"The only downfall in all this is that Zeltrax wiped out the eternity spring," Trent commented as the Rangers, minus Connor, walked over to where the tree had once been. "That could have done a lot of good for a lot of people," he sighed.

"Yeah," Doctor Oliver agreed. "But like anything good, too much can be really bad," the others laughed a little.

"You and Ari sound way too alike sometimes Doctor O," Ethan grinned, and Ari glanced to their teacher, before laughing as he looked torn between laughing, and being insulted.

"I wonder what'll happen to Zeltrax," Kira wondered aloud. "Please tell me that we are finally through with his ugly mug," she looked to her friends.

"Unfortunately, I doubt it," Doctor Oliver shook his head. "Mesogog will be looking for him just as hard as we are," he told them.

"Well, hopefully they'll find each other first, and take each other out. That'd be nice," Ari mused, making them grin. They spotted Connor talking to Krista, who looked like she was warming up to him again. After a moment, he took the new tree sprout from her, and they watched as he planted it, and the onlookers applauded.

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	21. Wormhole

Chapter 21: Wormhole

**Newtech City, the year 2028**

An alarm blared the SPD base on Earth, earning the attention of everyone there.

'_Power Rangers, report to Delta Command Centre immediately_," the voice of Doctor Kat Manx, the head of technical support for the base, blared loudly. Minutes later, the doors into the command centre opened, and the group of seven teenagers ran in.

"What's going on?" the leader, Jack, whose grey SPD uniform was outlined in red, looked up at their canine commander.

"Grumm is gone, and so is his ship," Commander Kruger informed them, taking the group by surprise.

"Yes, he's retreated!" Sky, whose uniform had blue along with the grey, smiled brightly.

"We've _won_!" Jack cheered loudly, and all of the other Rangers, bar one, cheered along with him.

"_Enough_!" their cheering was quickly cut off by their Commander's sharp yell.

"Hello, hello!" Jack grinned up at him. "You said it yourself, Grumm is gone!" the Red Ranger pointed out.

"Yes, he's gone, but I know my enemy," Kruger told them. "He does not retreat," their smiles faded.

"The Commander has a point," they looked to the only one of the group who had not joined in on their short-lived celebrations. Spencer, whose uniform was outlined in gold, adjusted his glasses and looked up at his friends, his bright green eyes serious as always.

"Commander, I found something," Kat spoke up from the computer. "I was scanning the Turnerian Nebula when I found this," the screen brought up an image of a strange hole that was surrounded by whirling colours.

"A wormhole?" Kruger scowled.

"Yes. A temporal wormhole. There are traces of Troobian energy inside the rim," Kat told them.

"Sounds like retreating to me," Jack muttered.

"That's what he wants us to think," Kruger spoke sharply as he turned around.

"Sir, then where is he going?" Sky frowned, and it grew as a hand clapped on his shoulder. He looked to the taller blonde, whose sea-green eyes sparkled as she smirked up at the Blue Ranger.

"Oh Sky, that's not the important question here, now is it?" Annie, whose uniform was both grey and silver, smirked at him as he scowled at her touching him.

"Ok, then what is?" Syd, the shorter blonde whose uniform had a pink edge, frowned up at her.

"_When_ is he going to?" Spencer finished softly.

**Reefside, the year 2004**

The school bell rang, signalling lunch time for the students. While they waited for Connor, the four other teenage Rangers relaxed. Kira practised a new song that she had been writing, and the peaceful melody was interrupted by Ethan's game that beeped loudly. On the grass, Ethan sketched the Blue and Yellow Rangers as they sat on the bench, and beside him, Ari dozed on her side.

"You'd never expect her to be a defender of earth," Trent grinned when he glanced to Ari, who looked even younger as she slept, her mouth hanging open a little.

"I suppose that's why she's never been figured out," Kira smirked. Trent grinned at her, watching for a moment as the songstress continued to play.

"Great!" Ethan's exclamation made Ari groan and open her eyes slowly.

"Aw, you woke her," Kira grinned as Ari yawned and rolled onto her back.

"I'm just about to defeat the _evil _Maxidrone, when his evil ship comes along and destroys all that I've done!" Ethan complained, seemingly oblivious. "Can you believe it?" he looked to Kira, who just laughed.

"It's just a game, Ethan," the Yellow Ranger shrugged, not really caring.

"Yeah, you're acting as if it's real," Trent smirked.

"What if it _is _real? What if this game is really an ancient diary telling me about a real even that happened in a distant galaxy, far, far away," he smiled happily.

"Ethan, your mind is the only thing that is far, far away," Kira smirked.

"Ow!" Trent started to laugh, before a ball rolled over.

"Hey guys, what's up," Connor grinned to his friends as Ethan caught the ball with his foot.

"Oh, Ethan's giving us a history lesson on something he leaned on his Geekboy," Kira smirked. "And he woke Ari up," she glanced to the Gold Ranger, who was sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Aww, you were asleep?" Connor grinned to the 16 year older, who let out another yawn.

"We can't all nap through math class," Ari retorted, wiping the smirk from Connor's face as Trent and Kira laughed.

"Alright. You're right. This is not ancient galactic history," Ethan relented.

"Finally," Kira rolled her eyes.

"But it could be...the future!" Ethan suggested, and they all sighed.

"Remember, it's just a game," Connor told him with a grin. As Ethan went to retort, they heard a loud roaring noise overhead, and looked up quickly. A massive ship flew overhead, and stunned, the Rangers watched as it shot into the distance, disappearing.

"Looks like naptime's over," Ari yawned.

**Newtech City, the year 2028**

"A wormhole is a tube of space time connecting distant regions of the universe that could provide the possibility of time travel," Kat explained to Jack, Annie, Z, who wore a yellow and grey uniform, and Bridge, whose uniform had a green outline.

"Einstein's theory of relativity," Bridge nodded.

"Correct," Kat smiled at the Green Ranger. "Commander," she looked to the large dog.

"I believe that Grumm has become frustrated with the resistance SPD has shown, and has decided to take the terror and his battle into the past, where victory will be certain," Kruger explained to the four Rangers.

"We can't just let him do that!" Z looked horrified at the thought.

"We won't. We will go after him," Kruger told the Yellow Ranger.

"You're sending us through the wormhole, aren't you sir?" Annie sounded almost resigned to the idea already. "That's why you only called us," she commented.

"Yes. I can't leave the present unprotected," Kruger told her. "Say your goodbyes, and report to Delta Launch in five minutes," he ordered, and they saluted. While Jack, Z and Annie went to leave immediately, Bridge paused.

"Sir, when you say 'say your goodbyes', do you mean 'say goodbye' as in 'see you later', or do you mean 'say goodbye' as in...'goodbye'?" he asked. Kruger tilted his head, and went to respond, but Bridge stopped him. "Wait!" he shook his head. "Don't answer that," he told the canine.

"Come on Bridge," rolling her eyes, Annie grabbed his jacket sleeve and pulled the Green Ranger out.

**Reefside, the year 2004**

"Ok, the next time you predict the future like this, could you at least make me a pop star," Kira grumbled as the five Rangers walked through the forest, attempting to find the ship.

"Or at least let me have a longer nap before making it come true," Ari complained.

"I didn't know it was gonna come true!" Ethan defended.

"We gotta find Doctor O," Trent told them, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, you've found me, instead," Zeltrax announced, and they looked up quickly to find the machine, standing with a group of Tyrannodrones. The five sighed.

"At least it's a familiar face," Connor growled.

"Yeah...great," Ethan muttered. Zeltrax growled as they fell into fighting positions.

"Rangers, we fight again!" he declared, before the ship appeared overhead, and he, along with his Tyrannodrones, were caught in a bright light and sucked up into the ship.

"Now that's something you don't see every day," Connor glanced to his friends, whose eyes were all wide.

1-2-3-4-5

After the ship had taken Zeltrax, it had flown off again, and the Rangers continued to search for it.

"I wonder what they wanted with Zeltrax," Trent spoke up as he pushed past a bush.

"Does it really matter?" Kira rolled her eyes as she walked beside the White Ranger. "Hopefully, they'll take him into space, and sell him for scrap metal," she muttered irritably. Ari giggled as Trent grinned at the annoyed singer.

"The point is, it's all good," Ethan grinned at her. "Zeltrax is gone, and so are they," he said, before Ari stopped them, giving a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, but we've got new guests," she pointed over to a strange ship that was resting nearby. It was white and blue in colour, with the initials SPD written on the side. A door opened, and four people walked out, wearing grey uniforms, each with their own colour as well.

"Connor, Kira, Ethan, Ari, nice to see you guys again," the one in red called over to them as the four walked over. "You must be Trent!" he pointed to the White Ranger, and the Rangers looked to each other slowly.

"Uh, what?" Connor asked his friends.

"That's an excellent question," Ari frowned suspiciously at the strange people who seemed to know who they were.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok, so let me see if I got this straight," Ethan spoke as the two groups stood together. "You guys are from the future. And you're Power Rangers?" he blinked several times.

"You're chasing Emperor Grumm, who's trying to conquer the future Earth?" Kira spoke up next.

"And Grumm came to defeat the Earth now, so in the future, he'll already have conquered Earth?" Connor continued on.

"And you know these guys because they were brought to the future and helped you out?" Trent glanced to the four Rangers.

"This is too much information to process when I didn't even get to finish that nap," Ari moaned, putting her hands to her head.

"Nap?" Annie, whom Ari found very familiar, raised her eyebrow at the Gold Ranger.

"Ok, let's go out on a limb here and say you're telling us the truth. Why don't we remember any of this?" Connor demanded as he looked at the four.

"Oh!" Bridge exclaimed suddenly, making them all jump. "I know," he told him with a goofy smile.

"Here we go," Annie smiled softly.

"We erased your memory, because a knowledge of the future would have a detrimental effect, causing it not to happen in the random manner that it's supposed to happen, without you interacting with it," Bridge explained in a fast voice.

"What did he say?" Kira glanced to Z.

"Annie?" Jack and Z just looked to their Silver Ranger, who opened her mouth to translate.

"He said that they wiped our memories so then we didn't try to influence any change in the future, whether we mean to or not," Ari spoke up with a bright smile.

"Yeah!" Bridge nodded, his smile just as wide.

"You speak Bridge?" Annie stared at the Gold Ranger. "Now that's something _he_ didn't get," she smirked to Bridge, who covered his grin with a gloved hand. Ari tilted her head, not understanding as Z and Jack both laughed.

"You know, I forget sometimes that Ari is super smart," Trent commented, and Ari stuck out her tongue at him.

"There's one thing he left out though," she then stated, and everyone looked at her. "That other meeting, hasn't happened in our timeline yet, so even if we hadn't had our memories erased, we wouldn't have a clue what you're on about," Ari told the SPD Rangers.

"Oh yeah," Bridge nodded. Their conversation was cut short when Jack's morpher began to beep, and he lifted it from his side, flipping it open.

"Krybots. I've got three separate readings, we gotta split up," he told the other three SPD Rangers. "Ok, you guys stay here, this is our fight," Jack ordered.

"Excuse me!" Kira shouted as he went to run. "Not any more. Your Grumm probably just teamed up our mortal enemy Zeltrax," she pointed out as they looked around.

"Right. Your fight is now our fight," Connor said, and the other three nodded their agreement. Jack frowned at them.

"Well, it hardly worked last time, trying to keep them out of it," Annie smirked.

1-2-3-4-5

The groups split up into separate teams and began to search for the readings. While the rest of the Dino Thunder team went with Z, Ari decided to tag along with Annie and Bridge.

"I know you, don't I?" Annie looked around at Ari as she walked beside the 16 year old Gold Ranger. Bridge led the way towards the signal, following it on his morpher. "I mean, I know your parents or something, you're just so familiar," Ari told the blonde girl.

"You did say she was perceptive," Bridge looked over his shoulder and grinned.

"Just keep following the signal Bridge," the Silver Ranger told him firmly, and with a laugh, he did just that.

"Are you two dating?" Ari asked, making Annie go red.

"Do you always ask so many questions?" Annie asked. "Aren't you like, 16 now?" she grumbled, and Ari grinned widely.

"You do know me," she told the blonde, who raised an eyebrow at her. "Most people think I'm younger, or older, considering I'm a Ranger," she rested her hands behind her back. Annie huffed, pushing her messy blonde hair from her face.

"Dad was right, you really were even crazier before..." she trailed off, and Ari tilted her head, watching her.

"The signal is getting stronger," before Ari could ask any more questions, Bridge spoke up, much to Annie's relief. "They've gotta be around her somewhere," he frowned, and Annie tapped him on the shoulder.

"I think we've found them," she lowered his morpher, and he saw a group of what Ari assumed were Krybots standing in front of them.

"Any last words, Rangers?" one of the blue-headed robots demanded.

"Oh cool, they talk!" Ari pointed at him. "Neither the Kelzacks or the Tyrannodrones can do that!" she exclaimed.

"Would you please stop finding the robots who are about to try and kill us cool?" Annie groaned. "Ready?" she glanced to Bridge as she grabbed her morpher.

"Ready!"

"SPD, EMERGENCY!" they morphed into Green and Silver suits. While Bridge's had the number 3 on it, Annie's had the number 7.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" Ari morphed into her Gold suit, and called on her swords. The three moved quickly, taking out the robots with ease. Bridge suddenly cried out as he was hit from behind, and rolled along the ground.

"Bridge, you ok?" Annie was by his side in an instant, helping him up.

"Is that all you got?" Bridge instead called out to the orange robot, who then fired another blast. This time, Ari intercepted, raising a shield and blocking it. It shattered on impact, but the three were unharmed. "Thanks," Bridge grinned at her under his helmet.

"You see why you let me tag along now?" Ari laughed back, and they ran at the Orange-Head again.

"You do have your uses," Annie nodded. "Now let's finish this guy!" she called. The three then grabbed their blasters, and with quick shots, they destroyed the robot.

**Newtech City, the year 2028**

Having been summoned to the command centre, Sky, Syd and Spencer stood before the Commander, along with the morphed Omega Ranger.

"The wormhole is closing. I need to go after the Rangers and warn them," he told them.

"I'll go with you sir," Sky volunteered.

"I'll go too," Syd stepped forwards as well.

"Me too, sir," Spencer nodded.

"No," Kruger spoke sharply. "I need you here in case the unthinkable happens," he told them.

"Sir, if you go back and we stay here, and Grumm wins...then being here will be unnecessary," Sky pointed out. "There won't be a here," he told their Commander.

"That was very Bridge-like," Spencer whispered to Syd, who giggled as the Blue Ranger shot them a glare.

"He's right sir," Kat spoke up. Kruger let out a growl, and nodded. "Alright then, we will all go," he decided.

**Reefside, the year 2004**

After meeting back up with Jack, they then found Z and the other Dino Thunder rangers.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Jack called out to them.

"Any luck?" Connor asked them.

"Just ran into a couple of Krybots," Bridge told him with a smile. "We took care of them," he shrugged.

"Dude, it was awesome! One of them talked!" Ari bounced over to her friends. "Ethan, you would have geeked out so bad," she told the Blue Ranger.

"A talking robot? Sounds about right!" Ethan laughed.

"Does she have an off-switch?" Annie asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Spencer asked that about me once," Bridge commented, and earned a small glare. "Did you guys find anything?" he quickly changed the subject as he looked at Z, who was trying not to laugh.

"No, nothing," Z shook her head. "Which doesn't make any sense, the Troobian energy around here is off the charts!" she exclaimed, irritated. No sooner had she spoken, however, was there a large explosion. Zeltrax flew through the air, and crashed to the ground nearby.

"Hey!" Jack spotted him first, falling into a fighting stance. Zeltrax ignored them, and blasted someone else whom he'd been fighting. Doctor Oliver flew through the air, and landed in front of Zeltrax.

"The Black Ranger!" Bridge's eyes widened.

"Time to take it to the next level!" Doctor Oliver yelled. He ran at Zeltrax, and movement behind the Rangers caught Ari's attention.

"Guys, Zeltrax may have brought some company," she commented, and they looked around to see a large crowd approaching them.

"Ok, what are those?" Bridge asked, not recognising the lizard-like monsters mixed in with the robots.

"Tyrannodrones," Connor scowled at the sight.

"Well, let's look on the bright side. It couldn't get any worse," Z gulped.

"There's our enemy, comrades!" they looked around quickly to see three monsters standing together.

"Guys, I think it just got worse," Jack gulped.

"Really? What kind of Ranger says that?" Ari looked at Z with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, that's just tempting fate, and fate likes to laugh at Power Rangers," she told the Yellow Ranger, who watched her for a second.

"Yep, there he is," she stated. Ari frowned as Annie snorted.

"Ready?" one of the monsters called out as they were completely surrounded.

"Come on!"

"This'll be easy!" another laughed. Doctor Oliver landed nearby, having narrowly avoided another attack.

"Better late than never," he commented as he looked at the new Rangers. "You guys ready?" he asked them.

"The Black Ranger! I've read all about you," Jack told him with an excited smile.

"Time to go to work!" Doctor Oliver called as the monsters grew impatient.

"Prepare to be defeated! Zeltrax yelled.

"Let's go!" Doctor Oliver called as he raised his staff.

"You don't stand a chance," Zeltrax told him, leaning his sword on his shoulder.

"Ready?" Jack called as he, Z, Bridge and Annie grabbed their morphers.

"Ready!"

"SPD, EMERGENCY!" the four morphed into their respective suits. "Space Patrol Delta!"

"Not bad," Connor smirked. "Check this out," he told them, looking to his friends. "Ready?"

"Ready!" they activated their morphers.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!"

"Dino Power!"

"Attack!" Zeltrax led the charge on the now morphed Rangers.

"Ok, give it all you've got!" Jack yelled. The Rangers ran forwards to meet their enemies, and the fighting began. Flipping through the air, Ari cut through both Tyrannodrones and robots, before they heard another call. They all looked up, just in time to see Blue, Pink and Gold Rangers leap through the air. They blasted Zeltrax before he could land a hit on Doctor Oliver, and another attacked him from the ground.

"We thought you might need some help!" Syd called.

"Let's do it!" the Omega Ranger called, and the four ran to join the battle as Kruger helped Doctor Oliver up.

"Took you long enough to get here," Annie called to Spencer as he flipped through the air.

"Hey, I wouldn't be here at all if we hadn't found out that the wormhole has a time limit!" the SPD Gold Ranger retorted as he landed. He dodged a Tyrannodrone and kicked it into a Blue-Head, before spinning his swords and cutting through more. When he paused to breath, he realised that Ari was watching him. "Good thing I showed up morphed," he commented, and started fighting again.

"Did you know she speaks Bridge?" Annie asked as she passed him.

"She does?" Syd asked in surprise, having caught their conversation.

"Annie, there's been times I've thought Bridge was like my secret brother or something," Spencer rolled his eyes. "Considering how insane they both are, it would make sense," he commented, not realising that the Gold Dino Ranger could hear his every word. She continued to fight, but she was also watching her fellow Gold Ranger, who was fighting in a very familiar style. And he wasn't the only one. Annie's fighting style had given away who she was.

"Surround them!" Zeltrax ordered, and the Rangers were all pushed together, surrounded by the large force. "This is your end, Power Rangers!" the machine mocked. "You are outnumbered! Look at the size of my army," he bragged.

"It is true. You have us outnumbered," the Shadow Ranger nodded. "But remember, it is not the size of the dog in the fight. It is the size of the fight in the dog!" he yelled with determination.

"You've always had us outnumbered Zeltrax, but you've never won! And it'll stay that way!" Ari yelled as she pointed one of her swords at the machine.

"That's all about to change, Gold Ranger!" Zeltrax growled at her. "Attack!" he roared, and they were attacked from all around. However, the fight quickly turned in the favour of the Rangers, who easily fought off the assortment of robots and monsters.

"Nice moves," Ari commented as Spencer landed beside her.

"Thanks, you too," he nodded, and she laughed.

"Do not get her started, you have no idea how irritating her billion questions have been," Annie warned him.

"How does she annoy you, when Teddie is even worse?" Spencer demanded as he looked to the Silver Ranger.

"Teddie's more like your dad," Annie shrugged. "And besides, she doesn't ask as many questions," she said, and blasted more of the Blue-Heads that ran at them. Nearby, Zeltrax fled, and while Jack called on his Battilizer, Connor called on his Triassic Power. Before long, they had destroyed all of the robots around them. Connor called on his newly acquired Battilizer, and Jack switched the form of his own, to finish off the last monster. Within moments, the ship overhead flew off.

"This is it Rangers!" Kruger called as they faced against the last of the army.

"RIC!" Jack called on the robotic dog. "Canine Cannon!"

"Z-Rex Blaster, ready!" the Dino Rangers combined their own weapons.

"Fire!" they all blasted the last of the robots.

"Rangers!"

"Red!"

"Blue!"

"Green!"

"Yellow!"

"Pink!"

"Gold!"

"Silver!"

"Omega!"

"Shadow!"

"Tyranno!"

"Tricera!"

"Ptera!"

"Plesio!"

"Brachio!"

"Drago!"

1-2-3-4-5

"Well guys, it's time to say goodbye," Jack smiled as the clock struck five and chimed loudly.

"So soon?" Connor frowned. They all stood back at Reefside High, and now the only ones still morphed, where the Omega Ranger, and Spencer.

"Yeah, what's the rush?" Kira shrugged. "I mean, you're time travellers, right? So no matter how long you stay, you get back at the same time?" she asked them curiously.

"Not true. The wormhole is closing. We gotta go," Z told them.

"We're technically not time travellers. We just followed Grumm here," Spencer shrugged.

"We understand. You've got to go," Trent grinned.

"Too bad. I was wanting to talk Annie about the whole, you know, Hunter and Zoe being her parents," Ari smirked, and everyone looked at her.

"You know?" Annie stared at her in shock.

"Wait, you mean those guys from your last team?" Kira asked, recognising the name.

"Yeah," Ari giggled. "I knew you were familiar, you look way too much like Hunter," she told the Silver Ranger.

"Told you that you should have stayed morphed," Spencer shrugged, and flinched when she elbowed him hard.

"Well it was also the Thunder Ninja style you fought in. That's kinda what made it click for me," Ari giggled as Annie sighed. Grinning, Bridge took her hand and shot her an amused smile as she gave a sheepish one back. "And besides, the suit doesn't hide everything," she then looked to Spencer, who gulped.

"What are you talking about?" Connor looked at the 16 year old, who frowned at him.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, and when she was met with blank stares, Ari giggled. "The way he and Annie were talking, it was easy to figure out," Annie and Spencer exchanged looks while the Dino Rangers looked confused. "He's my son," she stated, and their jaws dropped instantly.

"What?" Connor looked from her, to Spencer, and back to Ari. "But...how? Who? When?" he couldn't process sentences completely.

"She's as ridiculously perceptive as you Spencer," Sky commented with a small smirk as Spencer put a hand to his helmet.

"Just because you lack the skills needed to be perceptive Sky, doesn't mean that Ari and Spence are overly perceptive," Annie rolled her eyes, and Sky glared at her.

"But...who's your dad?" Connor still couldn't get over the thought of the goofy 16 year old having a son, who would become the Gold Power Ranger as well.

"You," Spencer told him simply, and when Connor and Ari looked at each other in horror, everyone else burst out laughing.

"Holy hell Spence, it's not that often you make a joke, but oh my god," Annie was on her knees, her hands around her waist as tears stung at her eyes.

"So, it's not me?" Connor asked slowly, just to make sure.

"Of course it's not you!" Spencer exclaimed, sounding a little disgusted at the thought, and the two Rangers looked incredibly relieved.

"Well, I have plenty of time to work it out," Ari laughed.

"No, you don't actually," Sky spoke up again, trying to look serious. Even the stoic Blue Ranger had been laughing at Spencer's claim.

"You're going to erase our memories, aren't you?" Kira realised.

"Yeah, we have to," Syd nodded. "Knowledge of the future would only change what's meant to be. For better, or worse. It's gotta be like this," she explained. Kruger then stepped forwards, and held up a strange device.

"Say cheese," he instructed, and before they realised it, there was a bright clue flash. "School's over. Go home," he ordered, and with dazed and confused frowns, the five walked off.

"Did that dog just talk?" Kira frowned at Connor.

"I think so," Connor nodded.

"It's five already? Where the heck did the rest of the day go?" Ari frowned, looking up at the clock.

"Finally," Spencer finally demorphed, and returned his glasses to their perch on his nose. His dark brown hair was flattened from being under a helmet for so long. "I was drawing way too much attention to myself," he muttered.

"It really doesn't seem fair that they're not gonna remember any of this," Bridge commented with a frown.

"I agree. It is not fair," Kruger agreed. He then turned to them, and held up the memory-erasing device again. "Say cheese," they looked up in confusion, and the bright blue light flashed again. When it faded, the seven Rangers looked very confused.

"Uh, Commander?" Jack frowned up at the canine. "Excuse me, I don't mean to sound confused, but where are we?" he asked as they all looked around.

"We're on a mission, Jack. Now get in the shuttle, and buckle up," Kruger instructed. "We have preset coordinates to take us home," he told them.

"Sounds good," Sky nodded.

"This place is weird..." Annie commented as she looked around.

"Weirdly familiar," Spencer added as they walked up to the shuttle.

"Honestly, how have we all missed half a day?" Ari asked as she and her friends all wondered the same thing.

"We probably all just fell asleep listening to Kira's music," Trent shrugged. "It put you to sleep pretty quick after all," he grinned at Ari, who went red.

"I suppose you're right," she relented, but looked around again to where the group of strangers had been standing, and caught sight of them before they disappeared into a strange ship a split second later. "Was that...? Nah, couldn't have been. Xander's in Briarwood, not Reefside..." Ari mumbled to herself.

"Hey Ari, hurry up or I'm gonna eat your dinner as well as mine!" Kira called, and with an anguished cry, Ari ran after the Yellow Ranger.

* * *

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially introducing Spencer and Annie! You'll see more of them in History, which will be in Mystic Force: The Sun's Destiny, and then in their own story, SPD: A New Sun Warrior!**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Please review!**

**Edit: I forgot to mention that I purposely changed the year that SPD is set to suit the timeline of this story, thanks to xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx for pointing it out!**


	22. Thunder Storm Part 1

Chapter 22: Thunder Storm Part 1

"I'm so late!" Ari groaned as she skated towards Hayley's Cyberspace. Moving quickly around people, Ari jumped from her board, grabbing it. She hurried inside, and ran straight into Kira and Trent.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Trent laughed as she stumbled backwards.

"I got caught up at the skate-park," Ari explained as she unclipped her helmet.

"Again?" Kira laughed, and Ari went red. "Oh, Ari, are you busy this afternoon?" she asked, and Ari thought about it for a second, before nodding.

"Sorry Kira. I got plans to meet a friend," she told the girl, before hurrying past them and into the café.

"Late again Ari?" Hayley raised an eyebrow at the girl as she tossed her belongings behind the counter.

"Sorry Hayley, I got caught up practising for the next demo," Ari apologised. With a smile, her boss then left to go work in Doctor Oliver's lab, leaving Ari to work.

"Late huh? That's not the attitude I'd expect of a graduated Sun Ninja," Ari spun around, and broke into a wide grin as Blake grinned at her.

"Blake! I didn't think you were getting in till later!" Ari hugged the ex-Navy Ranger with a laugh.

"Me neither. I tried calling you, but and Shane have always been impossible to contact when you're skateboarding," Blake teased as he released her. "I didn't expect to see you working here," he commented.

"Yeah, Hayley's a friend and she asked me to help out," Ari explained as she lifted the empty milkshake glasses from the counter. "Speaking of which, I better get working, she'll kill me if I don't do any work before going to see your race," she told the Thunder Ninja, who laughed and nodded.

1-2-3-4-5

After she had finished her shift, Ari had headed out to where the Motocross race would be taking place in Reefside.

"I'm Cassidy Cornell, you may have seen me on the Reefside News," Ari found Cassidy and Devin trying to get in, and grinned.

"Well, your name is not on the list," the security guard told her. "And if your name is not on the list, you pay like everybody else," he said as Cassidy's smile dropped.

"Hey Fred!" Ari called out to the security guard.

"Ari! Go on through, Blake's just about to get ready for his race," he smiled at her, and Cassidy stared at the 16 year old.

"How come she gets in? She doesn't have a pass!" the reporter complained as Ari walked past her and Devin.

"Her name _was _on the list. VIP with Blake Bradley," Fred told her, and Ari winked at the pair as she walked past, laughing. Both Cassidy and Devin stared at her, wondering just how she knew the star racer.

"Alright folks!" the announcement blared overhead as she walked in. "We are ready to start the first 125 moto!" with an excited smile, Ari ran over to the edge and found the racers already waiting. Blake waved to her when he spotted her, and she waved back as he pulled his helmet on. "The 30 second board is up!" the air was filled with the revving of engines, before the gates went down and everyone took off. "Blake Bradley's got the hole shot!" Ari cheered as the young man shot ahead of everyone else. Within moments, he flew across the finish line.

"He's still as fast as ever, if not faster," a familiar voice made Ari look around, and she smiled brightly as she saw Kelly standing behind her.

"Kelly! I didn't know you'd be here!" Ari hugged her old boss with a laugh.

"I didn't until yesterday," Kelly chuckled. "How have you been? You haven't been back to Blue Bay Harbour in a while," she commented, looking a little hurt.

"I've been pretty busy here. It's been insane," Ari told the red-haired woman.

"Well you did skip two years, I can understand you being busy," Kelly nodded, forgiving her as Ari pouted at her. "I hear there's been a lot of monster attacks here too. But after a year in Blue Bay, you're probably used to it," Ari laughed, nodding. When a beeping echoed, Ari frowned, and a bad feeling made its way into her stomach when she realised that it wasn't coming from her arm.

"What the..." Ari swung her back around as she stared at the symbol on her backpack. "Kelly, I gotta go," she told the red head, who smiled.

"I figured as much. Go, you have a world to protect," Ari's eyes widened. "What? You didn't think that I knew? What kind of boss lets you run off on several breaks without a proper excuse?" Kelly teased, and Ari stared at her, never having expected that the owner of Storm Chargers knew.

"You're awesome Kelly, I'll see you later!" Ari called to her as she turned and ran off to see what was going on.

1-2-3-4-5

After being told where to meet, Ari landed beside Cam, and straightened up.

"Cam!" Ari hugged her friend tightly.

"Hey Ari, hope you weren't too busy," the Samurai smiled at the girl.

"I was at Blake's race. Kelly was there. You know that she knew the whole time that we were Rangers?" Cam stared at Ari's revelation. Before he could respond, Hunter stopped beside them in a flash of crimson.

"Hunter, it's good to see you," Cam greeted the Thunder Ninja with a small hug.

"Don't forget me," on Cam's other side, Zoe appeared, grinning at them. "Ari!" she hugged the Gold Ranger, lifting her off her feet and making her laugh.

"How come she gets a way more excited response than I ever get?" Hunter complained to his girlfriend, who smirked, not releasing Ari.

"Cause she likes me best. We've been over this Hunter," Ari giggled as she managed to wriggle free and hug the ex-Crimson Ranger.

"I will hurt you," he warned her, but hugged her back.

"Sorry to call you both away from your students," Cam told Hunter and Zoe as the four began walking.

"I thought it must be important," Hunter shrugged. "I'd hoped we'd never use these things," he held up the communication device in his hand. "So, you think it's Lothor?" he asked the Samurai.

"It has to be. Who else leaves purple slime in his wake?" Cam glanced to him.

"What about the others?" Zoe asked, frowning.

"They're not responding," Cam shook his head.

"Blake's in a race at the moment, so I'm not surprised he's not answering," Ari folded her arms. "But the others...if the Wind Academy was attacked, then something must be wrong," she bit her thumb nail, worried. The others remained silent, and Ari suddenly stopped. "Cam, what about Melody?" she asked, and Cam looked around at her quickly.

"Melody? Who's that?" Zoe exchanged confused looks with Hunter.

"The daughter of Sensei Minami of the Flame Academy," Ari explained quickly, not looking away from Cam, who was going a little red. "Cam, did you contact her to warn her?" she asked.

"I...I didn't," he shook his head. Quickly checking his pockets, the Samurai groaned. "I don't have my phone," he realised.

"I do. I'll call her now," Ari grabbed her phone from her pocket and moved away as she quickly called the Fire Ninja.

"_Hey Ari, what's up_?" Melody answered brightly.

"Melody, we've got a problem," Ari told her quickly. "We think Lothor's back. The Wind Ninja Academy has been attacked," she said to her friend.

"Is Cam ok?" Ari couldn't help but smile at Melody's worry.

"Cam's fine, he's with me in Reefside, but-"

"I'm on my way!" Melody hung up before Ari could speak, and she frowned.

"Well that was not what I planned," she muttered, before her morpher beeped. "Neither was that," she frowned down at her wrist. "Kinda busy at the moment Doc," she told him.

"_Let me guess, you already know about the evil that's spreading from Blue Bay Harbour_?" her eyes widened.

"Yeah, we're dealing with it, gotta go!" she ended the communication and hurried back to her friends.

"Any luck?" Cam asked, looking worried.

"Haha...you're gonna love this..." Ari gave him a nervous laugh. Cam frowned, but before he could ask, they were joined by another blur.

"Melody? What are you-"

"Ari told me about the Wind Ninja Academy, I was worried," the amber-eyed girl told him. "Oh, hi," she looked to Hunter and Zoe, who were watching her curiously. "You're Hunter and Zoe, right? That's so awesome," Melody smiled brightly at them. "I'm Melody," she introduced herself.

"Melody, you should leave this to-"

"A bunch of Ninjas and a Samurai who don't have their Ranger powers anymore?" Melody quirked an eyebrow at Cam, who stopped abruptly, realising that she was right. Right now, she was as strong as they were. Hearing an explosion, they all looked around quickly.

"We'll play catch-up later. Come on," Hunter led the way towards the noise, and they looked down into an alley to see the Dino Thunder Rangers, fighting the Ninja Storm Rangers.

"Oh, that is so not what we need right now," Ari groaned, her hands on the railings.

"What do we do?" Zoe frowned as the Dino Rangers were easily outmatched by their predecessors.

"There's nothing we can do," Hunter scowled. "Without our powers, we'd just get in the way," he told Zoe as she took his hand, worried for their friends as they easily took down the new Rangers.

"Where are the other Dino Rangers though?" Melody frowned.

"Others?" Zoe frowned. Very few details about the new team had made it out of Reefside.

"Yeah," Melody nodded. "There's a Black Ranger, and the White Ranger is good now...but the Gold Ranger, she should be there," she mumbled. "She's always with those three..." Ari's grip on the railings tightened. Melody was right, they were her team.

"Gold?" Hunter looked to Ari, before Blake suddenly appeared beside them. "Blake! Am I glad to see you," Hunter greeted his brother, relieved.

"I got here as fast as I could," Blake nodded at him. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

"We got trouble. Big trouble," Cam gestured down to the fight, and Blake jolted when he saw it.

"I can't...I can't just stand here and let them get hurt!" Ari's yell took the others by surprise.

"Ari? What are you-" Melody stared at Ari as she leapt over the railings. Flipping through the air, Ari landed between the two Ranger groups.

"Ari? Where have you been?" Connor yelled to the Gold Ranger.

"Working on figuring out why these guys have decided to turn evil. And how they have their powers back," Ari told him quickly, before turning to face the Ninja Rangers.

"Oh look, it's the kid," Tori's sneer made tears sting at Ari's eyes. When the Blue Ranger attacked her, Ari raised a shield and blocked it instantly.

"What the heck was that?" Zoe demanded as Hunter held her back, stopping her from jumping into the fight as well.

"I have no idea," Hunter stared down as Ari scowled.

"Looks like I've got no choice," she muttered, and revealed her morpher. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" she morphed into her gold and white suit, taking the four Ninjas above by surprise. "Plesio!"

"Perfect, another Ranger to beat up!" Dustin laughed.

"I'd like to see you try!" Ari called on her blades and rushed at the three. Connor, Ethan and Kira joined to help her, but with them being exhausted, Ari was the only one who could slightly hold her own against her friends. She managed to catch Tori with her blades, but was then thrown back by Shane. "Guys, get back to Doctor O's and regroup. I'll contact you when I find out something!" Ari turned to her friends, and they nodded. To help cover their escape, Ari created a smoke screen, and when the smoke faded, the four were gone.

Ari landed above, demorphing and holding her stomach as she groaned, hoping that her friends had gotten away.

"Ari!" she let out a pained cry when Zoe raced over and hugged her tightly.

"Ow, it hurts!" Ari whined, and Zoe loosened her grip on her.

"So, you're the Gold Ranger again," Blake chuckled as the others ran over. Ari nodded as Zoe released her, and she rubbed her stomach.

"Sorry guys," she offered an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry, we're used to you throwing yourself into danger to protect your friends," Hunter smirked, and flinched when Zoe slapped his arm. "Hey, it's true!" he defended as Ari looked guilty.

"Come on guys, I've got a plan," Cam told the group, and they all looked at him curiously.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	23. Thunder Storm Part 2

Chapter 23: Thunder Storm Part 2

"Are you _nuts_?!" Blake's yell echoed through the damaged street where the battle between the Dino Thunder and Ninja Storm Rangers had just taken place.

"I take back everything I ever said about you being smart," Hunter told Cam, equally as horrified by the Samurai's plan. Melody, Zoe and Ari were staring at him.

"Take a look at what they've done!" Cam exclaimed, gesturing around the damaged street. "We have to get to the Abyss, it's our only chance," he told the Ninjas.

"But Cam, that thing is filled with all of the monsters you guys defeated last year," Melody pointed out, looking worried. "Who knows what else could be in there!" she exclaimed.

"We know what else is in there Mels," Cam told her with a sigh. "Our powers," he said, and they all sighed. "And we have to get them back if we're to have any chance of helping the Dino Rangers deal with Tori, Shane and Dustin," he said, and the others all sighed, knowing that he was right.

"No way!" Blake was not convinced. "There's no possible way I'm going near that thing again!" he yelled at them. The others all looked at him, and raised their eyebrows.

1-2-3-4-5

"I hate you," Blake told Zoe as they stood on the edge of the Abyss. The Moon Ninja, who had been responsible for dragging Blake back with them, just shrugged, not looking too bothered. "And for the record, I just wanna say one last time, I think this is a bad idea," he told the others.

"Melody, you don't have to do this," Cam told the Fire Ninja as she tightened her climbing gear.

"I know. I want to help you," she smiled at him. "You helped save me and all the other Ninjas, I'm going to repay the favour," Cam smiled back at her.

"Hey, wait a second, are you two-"

"Let's get this over with!" Ari spoke loudly before Zoe could finish her question. "What's the plan Cam?" she asked the Samurai. He smiled slightly, grateful to Ari's topic change.

"Uh...stick together, and don't die," he told her, and Ari grinned.

"I like it. Simple, bold, impossible," Zoe nodded from beside her. "Works for me," she then stepped over the edge, and was followed by the others. It didn't take long for them to reach solid ground, and they unclipped themselves from their gear.

"Man, it stinks down here!" Blake groaned, waving a hand in front of his face in hopes of dispelling the stench.

"Let's find our powers and get out of here," Cam frowned, sticking close to Melody.

"Over there!" Hunter spotted it first.

"The Samurai Amulet!" Cam's gaze softened as he saw the gift that had been given to him by his mother.

"I can't believe there's no-one guarding it..." Hunter frowned, looking around the suspiciously empty chamber. In a flash of purple light, Zurgane suddenly appeared, along with a mass of Kelzacks and a few monsters.

"Really Hunter? You had to tempt fate like that?" Ari frowned up at the blond, who shrugged.

"Welcome to my home, Power Rangers!" Zurgane greeted them, drawing his swords. "Attack!" he roared. The group leapt down to meet the monsters, and Zurgane growled as he spotted Ari. "I promised that I'd destroy you, Gold Ranger, and that's exactly what I intend to do!" he jumped at her, and slammed straight into her shield. It shattered instantly due to the lack of sunlight, and Ari stumbled backwards.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen," she told him, smirking. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" she morphed and called on her swords, fighting him off. "Cam! Get the Amulet!" she called to him as she cut through a Kelzack attacking the Samurai. She pushed back Zurgane as Melody tossed a Kelzack into him. "Nice moves," Ari nodded at her with a grin.

"Thanks," Melody smiled back, and kicked another out of the way. Ari couldn't help but watch her moves for a moment. The way of the Fire Ninja was something she hadn't seen before, and it fascinated her, and the others as well. It was almost as forceful as the Thunder Ninja style, mixed in with some of the grace of a Water Ninja.

"Stop!" Zurgane blasted the ground and the entire Abyss began to quake, knocking them all to the ground. Blake screamed as he stumbled and fell over the edge.

"Blake!" Ari dove over and grabbed his hands.

"No!" Hunter managed to catch her ankle, and she cried out as she was yanked back up. Hunter managed to grab onto the ledge, and groaned at the weight that nearly pulled him straight down.

"Hang on!" Cam yelled as he, Melody and Zoe grabbed his hand.

"I'm trying!" Blake groaned as he felt his hand slipping from Ari's. "I'm losing my grip," he cried out.

"Not my fault your hands are sweaty!" Ari struggled to keep holding him. "It's gross!" she told the Thunder Ninja.

"Hunter I swear that if any of you fall, I'm going to kill you," Zoe warned him as they pulled hard. Hunter just rolled his eyes at her threat.

"Now it's your turn to feel what it's like to live at the bottom of the Abyss!" Zurgane laughed, and he, along with the others left, disappeared. "Goodbye Rangers!" he then disappeared, and the Abyss began to shake even more.

"I can't believe I'm gonna miss my race tomorrow!" Blake whined.

"Did you seriously just say that?" Hunter asked his brother in disbelief, attempting to hold onto Ari's ankle.

"I can't hold on!" Cam felt the three slipping. Another hand suddenly reached down, and Cam, Melody and Zoe looked up quickly. "Dad!" he stared at Sensei, who nodded and slowly began to pull them up. However, the shaking didn't cease, and Hunter could feel Ari's boot slipping from his grasp.

"No way am I dropping you, Zoe would leave me down here," he tightened his grasp, and his eyes widened when gold lights began to surround Ari. Before they all realised it, the group was falling through the air, landing on soft grass.

"What the?" Melody looked alarmed as they looked over at the entrance to the Abyss of Evil, which closed over.

"I think we know who to thank for that," Zoe laughed as she fixed her glasses. Ari demorphed, and grinned at them.

"You're welcome," she grinned. "And you have more to thank me for," she then held out power disks, and Cam's amulet. I kept my balance long enough to grab them," she grinned as they laughed.

"So, a Ranger again?" Sensei smiled at Ari, who went red.

"Doctor O told me 'Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger'. I couldn't say no," she told him, and they got to her feet.

"Anyone want to explain to me what happened there?" Melody asked.

"We would if we could," Cam told her as he helped her to her feet. "You ok?" he asked her, and the Fire Ninja nodded, smiling at him.

"They're dating, aren't they?" Zoe whispered to Ari, who nodded.

"A few months now," she told the Moon Ninja, who grinned when she watched the pair.

"Come on, we gotta help the others," Blake told them, worried for his own girlfriend.

1-2-3-4-5

While Ari sent Melody and Sensei to Doctor Oliver's lab to explain what had happened, the rest of the group hurried to where Shane, Tori and Dustin were fighting Connor, Ethan and Kira.

"This is boring!" Tori declared as the two teams faced each other.

"Shall we?" Shane asked with a small smirk.

"Oh yeah!" Dustin nodded eagerly.

"No wait!" Blake yelled out, earning their attention. The group jumped over the fence, and walked over to the two confused teams.

"Wait a minute, Blake?" Kira frowned at the Thunder Ninja. "That's how I know you, you're a Power Ranger!" she realised, remembering the video.

"Good, cause we can use all the help we can get," Ethan looked relieved, exhausted from fighting Dustin.

"Yeah," Connor nodded, relieved.

"We're not here to help you guys out. We stick with our own kind," Blake smirked at them.

"What? Ari, are you helping these guys?" Connor stared at the Gold Ranger, who smirked as well.

"What can I say? Lothor helped show us a more fun way of living," she shrugged, and the three Rangers looked horrified that their team-mate had turned on them.

"Whoever doesn't follow us, we'll destroy," Cam told the three as they stood in front of the other Ninja Rangers.

"This is gonna be great!" Dustin cheered.

"Wait!" Cam stopped him before he could morph. "First, you have to take these," he held out three Power Disks. "A little power boost, direct from the Abyss of Evil," he told them. When their attention was on the disks, Ari winked to the Dino Rangers, who started, very confused now.

"But we already have our powers," Tori growled at the Samurai.

"Not these ones. They're way stronger," Zoe told her. Shane looked at it for a second, before frowning at Cam.

"You better be right about this," Shane warned him coldly.

"Believe me, you won't be sorry," Cam promised. The three took their disks, and replaced the ones in their morphers. The others watched silently as they then activated them. Red, blue and yellow lights shot from them, and the three fell to the ground.

"Dude, what happened? My bell is seriously rung!" Dustin groaned as they were helped back to their feet.

"How did we get here?" Tori frowned at Blake. "The last thing I remember..."

"Lothor, he's back," Blake told them.

"Yeah, we know," Shane nodded, trying to think through his headache. "Sensei told us," he said to them, but they shook their heads.

"That wasn't Sensei," Hunter said.

"No dude, I know Sensei when I see him," Dustin shook his head, not believing them.

"No, it's Lothor," Blake insisted.

"Oh, unless it was Lothor dressed as Sensei!" Dustin realised.

"It's like you forget that Sensei and Lothor are twins," Ari laughed, before the Dino Rangers approached.

"Ok, this is all highly amusing," Connor told them, frowning in utter confusion. "But does someone wanna tell me what's going on?" he asked, looking at the Ninjas.

1-2-3-4-5

"We were just about to fall inside, but dad got there just in time, and Ari's powers kicked in and pulled us out of the Abyss," Cam finished explaining what had happened in the Abyss of Evil.

"So we faked being on Lothor's side to get you to take the Ninja disks," Hunter spoke up. The two teams sat in Doctor Oliver's lab.

"It's a good thing you guys showed up when you did," Connor grinned.

"Good thing for you guys," Shane smirked, making them laugh.

"Whatever dude," Connor rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I'm just playing man," Shane laughed, clapping the Red Ranger on the shoulder. "You guys fight like rock stars," he told them, and the three who had been fighting against them grinned.

"I for one will take that as a compliment," Kira smiled at them from beside Trent.

"Even Ari should, I think she's finally learning a thing or two," Hunter smirked, and barely managed to dodge an energy-ball that hit the wall behind him.

"Ari, I've told you to stop doing that in my lab," Doctor Oliver frowned at Ari.

"The day that happens is the day she stops using the place as a skate-park," Ethan grinned, but raised his hands as Ari glanced to him.

"It was the same with Ninja Ops," Cam grinned.

"One day you two will quit fighting," Zoe put a hand to her face as Hunter looked from the scorch mark, to Ari, who was sticking out her tongue at him.

"She's the one throwing explosives!" Hunter complained, pointing at the Gold Ranger.

"You're the one who kidnapped me!" Ari countered, and Zoe frowned at the Thunder Ninja.

"You never bring that up when you fight with Blake!" Hunter was very aware of his girlfriend's expression. He looked to his brother for help, but Blake just shrugged. "Demon," he groaned as his head fell back.

"Someone who understands my pain," Trent nodded sympathetically to him.

"Ex-evil Rangers have it the hardest," Kira patted his shoulder.

"We're glad you're here, but now it's time for business," Doctor Oliver decided to interrupt the antics of the two teams. He glanced to Sensei, who stood up, nodding.

"Tommy is right," he agreed. "We have a serious problem on our hands," he told them.

"And it's gonna take all of us to defeat him," Doctor Oliver finished.

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It wasn't long before the alarm began to beep, and the computer screen brought up footage of various monsters waiting together.

"We've got company," Hayley announced, and they all gathered around the computer quickly.

"It's time," Doctor Oliver nodded to the rest of the group. "Let's show 'em what teamwork is really all about," he said, and they nodded, running out and leaving Hayley, Sensei and Melody to watch from the computer.

Running towards the quarry where the various monsters, Kelzacks, Tyrannodrones and Triptoids were waiting for them, the two teams looked down.

"It is time!" Zurgane declared when they noticed them.

"Let's be careful, but let's get it done," Doctor Oliver told them.

"Are you guys ready?" Connor called loudly.

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!"

"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!"

"NINJA STORM, RANGER FORM!"

"CELESTIAL STORM, RANGER FORM!"

"THUNDER STORM, RANGER FORM!"

"SAMURAI STORM, RANGER FORM!"

"HA!"

"Tyranno!"

"Tricera!"

"Ptera!"

"Plesio!"

"Brachio!"

"Drago!"

"Dino Thunder!"

"Power of Air!"

"Power of Water!"

"Power of Earth!"

"Power of the Moon!"

"Crimson Thunder!"

"Navy Thunder!"

"Samurai Power!"

"Ninja Storm!"

The two teams of morphed Rangers leapt down off the cliff, standing together.

"Ranger power!"

"Attack!" with a loud snarl, Elsa pointed her sword at the Rangers, and led the charge against them. Jumping on their bikes, Shane, Tori and Dustin, along with Connor, Kira, Ethan and Ari, sped towards the monsters. They flew through the air, blasting any in their way, and with perfect aim, Ari shot down the Kelzacks, Tyrannodrones and Triptoids that were running around.

"Hey Zurgane, you miss me?" Ari called, jumping from her bike as Doctor Oliver blasted the General.

"I imagine he missed you like Hunter misses having you around every day to interrupt him and Zoe," Blake laughed as he drew his staff.

"I don't know about him, but personally I miss that a lot," Ari told him earnestly.

"You're lucky you're cute Ari," Hunter sighed.

"And that Zoe is very attached to me and would break your legs if you hurt me," she smiled innocently at the Crimson Ranger, who nodded in agreement. The three then ran at Zurgane and attacked him, easily overwhelming the General. While he had been stuck in the Abyss of Evil, the three had grown in strength and skill.

"Enough!" Zurgane turned to attack Ari, who blocked it with her swords.

"Guys, I think Zurgane doesn't like me," the Gold Ranger commented lightly as she resisted his strength.

"What gave it away?" Hunter slammed his staff into the General's back, making him roar in pain. Doctor Oliver then leapt through the air, and hit Zurgane. They all attacked him at once, and Zurgane blocked them, throwing them back. When he blasted the four with energy from his swords, Blake and Ari intercepted with their shields. Hunter then blasted Zurgane, and he cried out as he stumbled backwards, stopping his attack.

"I'll take it from here!" Doctor Oliver told them, holding up his staff.

"We got your back," Blake nodded to him.

"Brachio Staff! Energy orb!" he summoned the round energy, and threw it at Zurgane, destroying him. Nearby, Cam called on his Super Samurai mode, while Trent went into Super Dino Mode, and Zoe called on her bow.

"Let's wipe these losers out!" she laughed, pulling back the string as silver energy. Cam and Trent raced forwards to attack the Wolf Blades, and as they wiped out two of them, Zoe released the arrow and finished off the last one. Before long, Ethan had wiped out the last of the footsoldiers, and Connor and Shane had called on their Battilizers, finishing off the two monsters that Lothor had brought with him from the Abyss.

When the last of the monsters had been defeated and Elsa had escaped, the Rangers all regrouped.

"Nice moves you guys," Connor told the Ninja Rangers as they all stood together.

"Back atcha bro!" Shane grinned, slapping Connor's hand in a high-five. When there was a loud thud nearby, they looked around to see Marah and Kapri on the ground. They groaned, getting to their feet, before they saw the Rangers.

"Oh, guys!" Marah smiled as they ran over.

"Hey Cam," Kapri greeted. Ari scowled under her helmet, and Zoe put a hand on her shoulder, knowing that Ari still didn't like the pair. Marah in particular.

"What are you doing here?" Cam asked as he walked towards them.

"Is that any way to greet family?" Kapri rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, especially when we brought you a present!" Marah complained. She held up a bottle, and uncorked it. Purple smoke flew from it, and settled nearby. It disappeared, revealing the Ninja students that had been captured from the Wind Ninja Academy. They then yanked off their strange clothes, revealing their Ninja gear.

"Still hate them?" Tori asked Ari as they ran to check on the students.

"Yep!" Ari nodded, and the Blue Ranger laughed at her.

1-2-3-4-5

"I'm afraid it's dead," Hayley held the Samurai Amulet in her hands as they gathered around the lab. "Lothor's extraction left just enough energy for one final battle," she told them sadly.

"Yeah well, I guess it's a good thing we got you guys," Shane sighed sadly, looking to the others.

"And they've got me!" Ari smiled brightly at him. Shane raised an eyebrow, and smirked.

"Just make sure she doesn't get herself killed," he turned to Connor, who laughed.

"We've been trying. She makes it tough though," Ari went red as they all laughed. "Anyway, you've done your part. It's our turn to take over where you left off," he told the Air Ninja.

"I'm not that bad," Ari mumbled, and Zoe messed up her hair.

"You can be. Like that time you tried to help Hunter even though you knew the Gem of Souls was out there?" she raised an eyebrow, and Ari went even redder. Hunter quickly took Zoe's hand, pulling her into him.

"Let's not discuss that," he told her nervously. He still remembered when Zoe had almost put him through the wall for nearly getting Ari killed.

"The Gem of Souls?" Melody looked at Cam with wide eyes.

"Yeah, it likes to try and kill Ari," the Samurai told her, very aware of her hand in his. The others had already shot smirks and teasing remarks his way, but Ari had quickly stopped them with a couple of energy-balls, much to Doctor Oliver's irritation. Tori had been the only one to not tease them, and had slapped her boyfriend's arm when Blake had laughed.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," Dustin spoke up.

"What's that Dustin?" Doctor Oliver asked curiously.

"Who rescued Sensei?" the Earth Ninja asked.

"I think we can answer that for you," Marah and Kapri bounced over to the pair. They explained how when Lothor had taken a nap, they had dragged Sensei out of his lair. Everyone burst out laughing.

"What? Do you have any idea how heavy he is?" Marah exclaimed loudly.

"Yeah! Sensei, you should cut down on the cookies with your afternoon tea!" Kapri told him.

"I will keep that in mind, now that I am returning to my normal life," Sensei replied, smiling at his nieces.

"I'm all about getting back to normal," Ethan grinned.

"Yeah, but not till we get down and dirty!" Blake told the Blue Ranger, and everyone cheered in excitement at getting to see his race.

1-2-3-4-5

The next morning finally arrived, and everyone met up at the track. They all passed Blake and Tori as the couple stood together, calling out good luck to the racer.

"Hey, remember when you tried out Motocross?" Dustin reminded Ari as they waited at the edge of the track as they waited for Blake's race to start.

"I was good too," Ari grinned from his shoulders, her hands resting on his head.

"You what?" Connor, Ethan and Trent stared at her. Only Kira had known about it.

"Dustin taught me some stuff to help with me learning to ride my Tsunami Cycle," Ari shrugged. "And then I entered the Total Trek competition, mostly to beat Shane and Hunter," she smirked.

"And then we ended up doing the team competition," Shane nodded with a laugh. "Second place wasn't bad though. No first place though," he smirked at her.

"That took the pair of you to get first place. I got second on my own," Ari defended.

"Hey, where _is_ Hunter?" Dustin realised that the Thunder Ninja was missing.

"Probably the same place that Zoe is," Cam rolled his eyes when they noticed that she was missing too. The Ninja Rangers all rolled their eyes.

"You mean behind that van where they're making out?" Ari spoke loudly.

"Oh come on Ari, we're not even in a place you'd walk in on!" Zoe's complaint echoed over.

"Hey, you guys are the ones who call me the younger sister," Ari smirked, and the pair groaned. Shortly they emerged, bright red as the others laughed at them.

"The demon younger sister. That's an apt title for her," Trent smirked. Ari pouted at him, and the others laughed. Their attention was switched to Blake as the race finally began, and Tori joined the others to cheer on the Thunder Ninja, who tore around the track, easily passing his opponents and passing the finish line. Cheering loudly, the two teams hoisted him into the air as he held a large trophy over his head.

* * *

**Only four chapters left! I really need to stop getting distracted (and watching Serenity instead of writing)**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	24. House of Cards

Chapter 24: House of Cards

Having arrived at Reefside High early, Kira and Ari sat out in the sun, relaxing before class. While Kira wrote down lyrics to a new song that she was composing, Ari read a book that she had borrowed from Melody, while she ate even more strawberries.

"Oh, enchantment spell," Ari looked up from her book as Ethan spoke up with a smirk. "Now your trolls are under my command," he told Devin.

"Hmmm..." with a pleasant smile, Devin set down a card. "Counter spell bro, sorry," Ethan's smile dropped abruptly. "Now they're released and can be set loose on your castle," Ethan looked at his next card.

"Magic arrow card," he placed it down in front of him. "Now my archers can get five of your warriors with one shot!"

"Not if my warriors are wearing enchanted armour, thanks very much," the two were getting heated, growing louder and more excited over their game.

"This is so completely lame," Cassidy finally spoke up, having been staring in her mirror on a bench beside them.

"For once, I actually agree with you Cassidy," Kira rolled her eyes, looking up from her notebook.

"You guys just don't understand cause you've never experienced Dragon Wars at its fullest potential!" Ethan argued, frowning at them.

"It has potential?" Ari spoke up, looking bored.

"Yeah!" Devin nodded, agreeing with Ethan as the Blue Ranger frowned at the 16 year old. Kira and Cassidy just smirked. "The intelligence and concentration that it takes to play this game is more than what most people can comprehend!" Devin told them, and Ethan nodded in agreement.

"Oh, really? That must be why my six year old brother is so into it," Cassidy deadpanned.

"It sounds boring," Ari looked back down at her book as she bit into another strawberry.

"Yeah, and Ari is way smarter than you guys. If anyone would have the 'intelligence' that you claim is needed, it's Ari," Kira smirked at them, and Ari giggled as the two boys frowned. "Besides, you guys know that Randall will _freak _if she catches you," the Yellow Ranger pointed out. "It's against school rules to play cards," she told them.

"Dude, can we get back to the game?" Devin asked, ignoring her. "I believe I was about to charge _your _castle," he smirked at Ethan as he placed another card down. Ethan looked insulted, and glanced down at his cards before freezing.

"No way," he breathed. "It can't be," Devin raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? What is it?" he asked, his curiosity growing.

"Ruby Dragon card!" Ethan revealed a card, and Devin's eyes widened.

"No...no way," he breathed in both awe and horror. "That's impossible!"

"Ohh, what's a Ruby Dragon card?" unable to focus on what she was doing, Kira looked up, rolling her eyes a little.

"The rarest and most powerful card of them all!" Ethan told her, looking extremely excited. "Nothing can beat it!" he told the Yellow Ranger, who didn't look at all interested.

"No way man, I quit. Game over, you win!" Devin dropped his cards instantly. Ethan's grin widened.

"See?" Ethan laughed.

"Hmm," the pair froze as another voice spoke up. "You know, sometimes my job is just too easy," Ari looked up as Randall approached the two boys, looking almost happy to see them with their cards. Devin groaned, closing his eyes.

"Principal Randall," Ethan looked up with a smile. "You are looking _especially _lovely today!" he told the Principal pleasantly.

"Mr James, if your friend Mr McKnight can't pull that off, then what makes you think you can?" she asked, and both Kira and Ari covered their mouths to hide their laughter.

"All right, then perhaps I can appeal to your sense of compassion?" the Blue Ranger tried, looking up at her with big eyes.

"If I had one, maybe," Randall told him. "But I don't. So, give me the cards now," she ordered. Ethan sagged, looking distraught.

"But he just got the Ruby Dragon card!" Devin tried, and Ethan showed it to her quickly, nodding hopefully. Randall gasped, looking surprised.

"Oh well, keep them then!" she told them with a laugh.

"Really?" believing her, Ethan and Devin looked delighted.

"No," Randall's fake smile dropped instantly and she held out her hand. "Hand them over," she ordered, and their smiles faded. Reluctantly, they handed over their cards. "Now, off to class," she instructed, walking off.

"I can't believe it. I'll never find another one of those," Ethan complained as he got up, grabbing his bag. Devin nodded in agreement, and they headed off to class.

"Told you that you shouldn't be playing it," Kira told the Blue Ranger, who sighed heavily.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ok, we've got stegosaurus, brachiosaurus, brontosaurus," Doctor Oliver told the class as he stood at the board. "What are some other herbivores from that era?" he asked, looking around. When nobody raised their hands, he looked to Ethan. "Ethan, you should know this," he told him, but Ethan didn't react. "Ethan, you alright?" Doctor Oliver frowned at the boy. "Could somebody tell me what the problem is?" sighing, he looked to the other Rangers.

"He and Devin were playing that Dragon Wars game and Principal Randall confiscated his stupid cards," Ari rolled her eyes, not looking up from the notes she was writing down.

"The Ruby Dragon card isn't stupid!" Devin told her, looking horrified.

"Dragon Wars?" Doctor Oliver frowned. "Isn't that a kids game?" he asked, and both Ari and Kira started laughing.

"Come on! It's a game of strategy for all ages!" Ethan told him, finally reacting.

"That's what they tell kids to make them feel more grown up," Ari smirked at him as she looked up. The rest of the class were laughing at this point.

"Well, I hate to side with Randall on this, but you know you can't play cards at school," Doctor Oliver pointed out as Ethan blushed furiously.

"Doctor O, she took the Ruby Dragon card!" Ethan told him desperately.

"Yeah, Doctor Oliver, it was brutal man," Devin nodded.

"Alright, look," Doctor Oliver sighed. "I'll talk to her after school," he told them, and Ethan brightened up considerably. "Maybe I can get them back. But for now, can you guys _please _pay attention?" he asked them.

"Hey, anything for you Doctor O," Ethan told him.

"What happened to 'you know you can't play cards at school'?" Ari muttered, and Ethan shushed her quickly, throwing a balled up piece of paper at the Gold Ranger.

1-2-3-4-5

"I'm just saying, if Doctor O gets that card back for Ethan, he's just gonna play more of that stupid game at school," Kira spoke as she walked through the corridors with Trent, Connor and Ari after school ended.

"I wonder if Doctor O will actually be able to get it back from her," Ari grinned.

"He does seem to find it kinda funny when she's rude to him," Trent commented with a laugh.

"I think he's still trying to find out if she has a heart under all that ice," Connor smirked as they walked out of school, and abruptly stopped, all of them staring out at the field.

"Uh, I don't think that's the way to do it," Ari commented, her eyes wide as Doctor Oliver and Randall battled it out on the grass.

"Ok...don't you think Doctor O's going just a little over the top trying to get Ethan's card back?" Kira demanded as they watched.

"Maybe he knows something we don't?" Trent suggested, all trace of his laughter gone.

"Like what?" Connor turned to look at the White Ranger.

"I don't know," Trent spoke quickly, and Ari turned to look at him, a little surprised at how defensive his answer was. He was frowning at the two fighting, looking more worried than amazed. "There's gotta be a reason he's fighting her!" he exclaimed.

"What is Doctor O doing? He's so going to get fired!" Connor exclaimed as he watched.

"It's Elsa!" the four Rangers looked around at Ethan quickly as the boy ran up to them.

"Randall?!" Kira cried out, before the Principal flipped through the air, her appearance changing. She landed as Elsa, smirking as most of the students screamed and fled the scene.

"See!" Ethan raised his eyebrows at them.

"Well that's a plot twist I didn't see coming," Ari frowned. "Though it does explain why she hates us more than the other students," she added, folding her arms.

"Why is it you sound most calm when freaky stuff like this happens?" Connor demanded, and Ari shrugged.

"You fight well for a science teacher," Elsa told Doctor Oliver with a smirk.

"You're not bad for a principal," the teacher replied.

"Former principal," Elsa corrected him. "Tell the school board I resign!" she declared, before disappearing through an Invisportal.

"Wait!" Ethan cried out, and the other Rangers looked at him in disbelief. "Don't go..." he groaned in horror.

"'Don't go'?" Connor repeated as he looked down at the geek incredulously. "Are you kidding?" he demanded.

"She has the Ruby Dragon card!" Ethan pointed out.

1-2-3-4-5

"I can't believe we didn't work it out!" Connor groaned as the five younger Rangers walked out of the school grounds. "They look exactly the same, except one has glasses!" he pointed out.

"Hey, Clark Kent and Superman look the same, but nobody ever puts that together," Ethan pointed out.

"Good point," Connor agreed.

"I'm more surprised that she didn't rat Doctor O out or any of us," Ari spoke up, a little relieved. If Elsa had done so, they would have all been in a lot of trouble. "I wonder why she didn't..." she spoke quietly.

"I just can't believe she got the Ruby Dragon card...I have been looking for that card since I was a kid!" Ethan exclaimed furiously.

"Maybe I can do something about it," Trent spoke up, and all of them turned to frown at the White Ranger.

"Like what?" Ethan asked curiously as they stopped.

"I don't know. Maybe I can think of something," he stepped backwards with a nervous laugh. "Just leave it to me," Trent hurried off, leaving the other four very confused.

"Ok...what was that about?" Ethan turned to Kira.

"Don't ask me," the Yellow Ranger spoke, turning defensive. "I can't figure him out any easier than you guys can," she told them.

"Uhuh," Connor gave her a flat look, and Ari covered her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Hey guys, we're still meeting at the edge of training at the edge of the woods?" Doctor Oliver approached them, and they nodded.

"So who's gonna be the new Principal, now that the last one has been revealed to be a psycho who's been trying to kill us all year?" Ari asked the science teacher.

"That's a good question," Doctor Oliver sighed. "I'm going over to the school board to let them know right now," he told them.

"They might want to screen the next one a little better," Connor commented.

"I'll let them know that. See ya," he headed off, and they called out their goodbyes as they headed off.

1-2-3-4-5

"I dunno, Doctor Oliver," Connor sighed as the five Rangers stood in the woods, ready to start training. Trent still hadn't shown, and they were all worried about the White Ranger, who hadn't shown up. "I mean, he's been acting kinda weird lately, like there's something he's not telling us," the other three nodded in agreement.

"Well dude, you have to admit that Trent isn't exactly open about what's going on with him," Ethan pointed out.

"And what's with him going after the Ruby Dragon card?" Kira frowned, just as worried.

"He's definitely hiding something," Ari sighed, playing with her bracelet. "Why doesn't he trust us with it? We're supposed to have each others' backs," she ran her fingers over the Gold Gem.

"He'll be here, he probably just got hung up at the Cyber Café," Doctor Oliver soothed the worried Rangers. Hearing a growl, they looked around quickly to see a monster approaching them.

"Speaking of the Ruby Dragon card," Ethan growled as they stood together, staring at the dragon-like monster.

"Elsa didn't waste any time," Connor frowned.

"And if Trent went after the card..." Kira breathed, worried for the boy.

"Then Trent's probably in a lot of trouble. And if he isn't, he will be," Ari commented, ready to fight.

"We'll find Trent later," Doctor Oliver told them. "Right now, we have more pressing things to deal with," the four teenagers nodded.

"Right," Connor agreed with him. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" the five morphed. "Super Dino Mode!" they immediately called on their greater power and attacked the Ruby Dragon. Connor hauled the monster through the air and slammed him into a tree, but he roared loudly, barely bothered by the attack. The Ruby Dragon slashed across Connor's front, making the Red Ranger cry out, before he turned to the other Rangers. He blasted Kira, Ethan and Ari, and they fell to the ground, groaning.

"Ethan, just so you know, if I ever see you bringing cards to school again, I'm going to hurt you," Ari warned the Blue Ranger as she pushed herself to her feet.

"You were right, pain does make you mean," Ethan muttered as he glanced at the Gold Ranger. As they, along with Kira and Connor, ran to attack the Ruby Dragon again, Doctor Oliver was thrown into them, and they all crashed to the ground again.

"The Ruby Dragon always wins!" the monster declared loudly, before he was blasted from behind. He turned around to see who was responsible, and found Trent riding up on his ATV, already morphed.

"We'll see about that!" the White Ranger told him. He slowed to a stop and climbed off his ATV, drawing his dagger. "I'll handle this freak myself," he told them. "If he's up for the challenge," he mocked the Dragon.

"Trent, that's crazy!" Connor yelled at their friend in shock.

"Connor's right, he's too strong to take on by yourself," Doctor Oliver told him quickly. All of them were worried for the White Ranger, who was acting strangely reckless.

"Trent, we need to work together to take this guy down!" Ari insisted.

"I know how to play his game," Trent replied calmly.

"Speaking of games, why don't you tell your friends the truth?" the Ruby Dragon questioned. The five other Rangers frowned, but Trent didn't react.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the White Ranger shrugged. "Now let's do this!" he raced towards the Ruby Dragon, and the two began to fight. They both shot into the air, exchanging blows, but the Ruby Dragon was stronger. He knocked Trent back to the ground, and he cried out in pain.

"Trent, are you ok?" Doctor Oliver called to him as they ran over. They helped the White Ranger to his feet as the Ruby Dragon landed, laughing.

"Yeah," he nodded, glaring at the monster.

"I've got him!" Connor drew his blaster and pointed it at the Ruby Dragon, but Trent called out to him.

"Wait Connor! Let me take him!" Trent pleaded with the White Ranger.

"What is the matter with you?" Connor demanded. He couldn't understand why Trent was demanding to take on the monster alone. "And what is he talking about?" the Ruby Dragon's words had gotten to them all. Before Trent could reply, lights shot down from above, and they were all blasted off their feet.

"I don't like this day," Ari groaned as she rolled over. Elsa, along with a group of Tyrannodrones, then appeared by the Ruby Dragon, and the Gold Ranger groaned loudly. "Really don't like this day," she complained as they got to their feet.

"Attack!" Elsa roared, and they fought off the group of monsters.

"I heard you've been looking for me, Trent," Elsa smirked as she met the White Ranger in the middle. "Is there something I can do for you?" she asked as the others fought off the Tyrannodrones. Ari frowned at the pair as she slashed across one of the dinosaur-like monsters, looking over.

"How about go away forever?" Trent snapped at her. Elsa then hit him across the chest and knocked the White Ranger to the ground.

"And what fun would that be, huh?" Elsa yelled at him as Connor and Ari stood protectively in front of him. "Then I wouldn't get to see you reveal your big secret," she mocked.

"Secret? What secret?" Connor asked him, looking around.

"Trent, it's ok to tell us. We're a team," Ari spoke softly, and Trent looked away.

"It's nothing," he told them quickly. "She's just trying to mess with us," Trent insisted, but neither were convinced.

"Then why don't you tell them?" Elsa taunted.

"And why don't you butt out?" Ari snapped back at her, tossing an energy-ball at the woman, who narrowly avoided it.

"Connor, Ari, can you take it from here?" he asked them hopefully.

"Yeah," they nodded, but neither were about to drop it. "Kira, Ethan, Ari, are you ready?" Connor asked his friends, who nodded as they stood beside him. They called on their energy, and poured it into the shield, allowing him to access his Triassic power. "Battilizer, engage!" Connor called on his Battilizer. "Cannon, power up!" he summoned the cannons that rested on his shoulders. "Battle blast!" he shot into the air and blasted the monsters, destroying the Tyrannodrones. Before he could turn to the Ruby Dragon, Elsa opened an Invisiportal and the pair disappeared through it.

"Nice one," Trent ran over as they cheered on Connor.

"Trent, what was she talking about?" the Red Ranger asked as they all looked at him. Trent fell silent, looking down at the ground.

"If there's something you need to tell us, now's the time to do it," Doctor Oliver told him with a frown.

"We're your friends," Kira said softly, worried about him. "Whatever it is Trent, it can't be that bad," she insisted. The White Ranger just turned away, not responding.

1-2-3-4-5

"Trent, we're a team," Doctor Oliver sat at the computer, looking at the White Ranger as the teenagers stood in the lab, worried. "We're doing something that takes the ultimate trust in each other," he said as Trent kept his back to them.

"If you're holding back on us, how can we trust you out there in battle?" Connor asked him softly.

"And if you can't trust us with this secret, how can you trust usout there in battle?" Ari spoke up. Trent sighed heavily, and nodded.

"You're right," he told them, finally turning to face them. "Ok, look, this is how it is. I went to Mesogog's lab to get the card back," he admitted, and they all stared at him.

"You _what_?! By yourself?" Kira demanded furiously.

"I found an Invisiportal and it took me right there," Trent spoke, not looking up at first. "I was just trying to help you out Ethan, so I took a shot!" he told them, avoiding Kira's gaze.

"That wasn't a real smart thing to do," Doctor Oliver sighed.

"Yeah, it was stupid," Trent agreed. "I got knocked out by that thing. I barely made it to help you guys," he told them softly, looking guilty.

"Doctor O, he was just being a good friend," Ethan decided to stick up for the White Ranger. "Any of us would have done the same thing," he told their teacher, who turned his frown on Ethan.

"Well none of you better in the future. That's all I can say," Doctor Oliver warned them, his anger quietly simmering just enough to let them know how he felt.

"It won't happen again. I promise," Trent said.

"So that's your big secret?" Kira frowned at him, and Trent paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah," he said. They all watched him carefully, none of them sure if he was telling the truth or not. "Look, I gotta go. My head's still feeling foggy," Trent sighed.

"Ok, get some rest," Doctor Oliver told him.

"See you guys later," Trent turned away, but as he walked over to the exit, Ari caught his sleeve. "What Ari?" he looked down, a little irritable, but his frown slipped from his face when he saw her expression.

"When you want to tell us your real secret, let me know. But don't lie to us and make us worry even more," the Gold Ranger told him quietly, her eyes narrowed at him. When he went to speak, she turned and walked back to her friends. Feeling his guilt worsen, Trent headed off.

"Something on your mind, Kira?" Doctor Oliver asked as he saw that Kira still looked worried, watching Trent disappear off.

"I dunno...there's something that's not quite right about him," she spoke softly.

"He's had a good knock to the head," Connor smiled sympathetically at the Yellow Ranger. "I'd be feeling kinda spacey too," he told them, and found all four looking at him with raised eyebrows. "I meant...more than usual," he blushed, before the computer alarm beeped again. They looked around, sighing when they saw that the Ruby Dragon had returned.

"Let's go," Doctor Oliver told them as he jumped up.

"What about Trent?" Connor asked their teacher as they stood in the open part of the lab.

"Let him get his head back together," Doctor Oliver decided. "We'll call him if it gets really ugly," they nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!" morphed and ready for another round, the five headed out to take on the Ruby Dragon again.

"Back for more?" the monster called as he turned around. He ran to meet them, and easily overwhelmed the Rangers, knocking them back as they attacked him. Before they could recover, he blasted them off their feet.

"That was harsh!" Connor groaned, feeling even more bruises start to form across his body. The Ruby Dragon just laughed loudly.

"Ok," Ethan sighed as he got to his feet. "This guy needs a little hover love," he decided. "Hovercraft Cycle!" Ethan called on his much faster bike, and leapt onto it. He sped towards the Ruby Dragon, and narrowly avoided the monster's attacks before leaping into the air. He blasted the monster, who cried out. "Aerial mode!" Ethan switched his bike into its hovercraft mode, balancing on it as it flew through the air. "After-burners!" he shot around, facing the Ruby Dragon. "Full throttle!" he easily overwhelmed the dragon. When the Ruby Dragon got back up, he was attacked from behind by Trent. Recovering quickly, the monster grabbed him.

"Trent, watch out!" Connor yelled at him. With a yell, Trent blasted the monster from up close, making him roar and stagger backwards. "Let's bust out the Z-Rex on this trading card phoney!" Connor told his friends. Calling on their weapons, they combined all six weapons.

"Z-Rex Blaster!" they aimed the cannon at the monster.

"Nothing beats the Ruby Dragon!" the monster cried out.

"Ready!"

"Aim!"

"Fire!" they blasted the monster, and moments later he grew as a dark rain cloud appeared overhead, raining on what was left on him.

"The game isn't over yet!" the Ruby Dragon yelled at them.

"It's Zord time!" Trent called on his Drago and Stego Zords.

"Brachio!" Doctor Oliver called on the Brachiozord, which held the four other Zords inside.

"Triassic Power!" Connor lifted the shield, which was then powered up by Ethan, Ari and Kira. "Doctor O, think you can handle the Mezodon?" the Red Ranger asked, passing over the shield to the teacher.

"You've got it! Mezodon online!" Doctor Oliver took command of the other Megazord. The three Megazords then faced the Ruby Dragon, who leapt into the air.

"Nice view!" he called, before blasting them from the air.

"Dino Stegozord, tail attack!" Trent's Megazord flipped through the air, but the Ruby Dragon easily repelled his attack and he crashed to the ground. "We've got to work together!" he yelled to the others.

"He's right!" Connor nodded.

"Finally he gets it," Ari rolled her eyes under her helmet. Lights shone from all three Megazords, and they blasted the monster, destroying it easily.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, how are you managing to get better grades than me when you keep sleeping through Doctor Oliver's classes?" Connor complained as they walked through the corridors after another day of school.

"Because she studies at home," Kira smirked at him, and Ari nodded, yawning.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you could manage to keep awake during at least one more class before the end of the year Ari," Doctor Oliver told the girl, who went red. She nodded, and the others laughed. "Well, did you learn something from this Ethan?" he then turned to the Blue Ranger.

"Yeah, leave the card games at home from now on," he nodded at the teacher.

"Dude, how about leaving them to the _kids _from now on?" Connor teased him, and the others laughed.

"Yeah, seriously, you're much to smart for that," Kira told him. Ethan rolled his eyes.

"You guys still don't get it," he sighed. "But hey, that's alright, I don't expect you to understand," he muttered.

"Harsh," Ari grinned at Kira.

"Hey Anton!" Doctor Oliver called out, and they all stopped as Doctor Mercer stopped, with Trent beside him. "How are you?" Doctor Oliver smiled at his old co-worker.

"Tommy," Doctor Mercer shook his hand as Trent smiled at the others. "I'm fine. Hey, I understand you're looking for a new principal," he commented.

"Well yeah, the last one resigned after revealing that she was a psycho trying to destroy the world," Ari spoke up, and was shushed by the others.

"Why? Are you interested?" Doctor Oliver asked him.

"I'm sure Doctor Mercer's far too busy to run a school!" Kira spoke up loudly as all of them looked panicked.

"Yeah, far too busy," Ethan nodded.

"Relax, everybody," Doctor Mercer told them as Trent laughed. "She's right," he said, before a beeping echoed from his pocket. "Oh, see? Even as we speak," he reached for his phone, before something fell from his pocket. Everyone frowned as they looked down at the Ruby Dragon card. Ethan crouched down and lifted it, looking up at the man.

"How did you get this?" he asked him curiously.

"Honestly, I don't know," Doctor Mercer admitted as he took it from him. "Trent, is this yours?" he asked, but the White Ranger shook his head.

"No," he gave a nervous laugh. "I don't know how it got there," Trent shrugged, before Doctor Mercer staggered.

"Anton!" Doctor Oliver reached out to the man. "Are you alright?" he asked, and Doctor Mercer fell to his knees, turning away from them.

"I'm fine...just leave me alone," he pleaded weakly.

"We should get you some help," Doctor Oliver insisted.

"No!" the other man yelled, and ran off. The others ran after him, ignoring Trent as he pleaded with them to leave him alone. They chased him down the corridors, and into Doctor Oliver's classroom, where they found him leaning on one of the tables. He straightened up, his breathing ragged, and he spun around to face them, just as he turned into Mesogog.

"No way!" Connor stared in horror. "Mercer is..."

"Mesogog..." Doctor Oliver looked just as horror-stricken.

"Oh, this is one crazy week," Ethan groaned.

"Like Randall being Elsa wasn't a big enough plot twist..." Ari whispered, her hands over her mouth.

"This is your big secret?" Kira looked at Trent as she realised why the boy had been so secretive. "You knew this all along?" she asked, hurt in her expression.

"He's my _father_. How could I tell you?" the White Ranger looked at her helplessly.

"You will pay for betraying me Trent!" Mesogog finally spoke up, angry. "You will pay dearly!" he promised.

"I never betrayed you!" Trent insisted.

"He betrayed _us _if anything!" Connor snarled as his rage replaced his horror.

"_Silence_!" Mesogog screamed, and reverted back to Doctor Mercer. He fell to his knees, soaked in sweat. "Trent...I'm sorry," he spoke weakly, before disappearing through an Invisportal, leaving Trent to face the wrath of his team.

* * *

**Just three chapters left to go!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	25. Test of Trust

Chapter 25: Test of Trust

"I always knew Mercer wasn't PTA material, but _Mesogog_? That's whack," Ethan growled as the four teens stood in Doctor Oliver's lab with their teacher. They were all still reeling over discovering that Doctor Mercer was Mesogog, and worse, that Trent knew and had kept it hidden from them.

"I'll tell you what's _whack_," Connor stopped his pacing. He looked at his friends, still furious. "Trent not telling us, _that's _whack!" he snarled.

"Look, I'm as mad about this as you guys are, but don't you think we still owe Trent the chance to explain?" Kira spoke up softly. "I mean, maybe there's a really good reason he didn't tell us," she suggested.

"Well I hope there is, cause if not, I've no choice but to ask Trent to surrender his morpher, and give up being a Power Ranger," Doctor Oliver spoke gravely, before walking out to go and get the White Ranger.

"Don't tell me you feel bad for Trent," Connor rolled his eyes when he saw Kira's expression.

"Yeah, I mean you want someone you can't trust running around with those powers?" Ethan demanded.

"I'd just hate for it to end this way for Trent..." Kira defended herself, looking at the ground. "I mean, if it were me, and I had to give back my powers, I don't know if I could handle it," she admitted.

"Oh, now that is ironic," Connor gave a small laugh. "I remember when you didn't want it to begin at all!" he pointed out.

"Yeah right!" Kira scoffed loudly.

"**The four of you have detention, for one week, starting today," Randall looked to the others, whose jaws dropped. "Now if there are no further questions-" all of them protested loudly, all having prior plans. "I didn't think so!" Randall barked at them over their yells.**

"**All I'm trying to do is give you guys a heads up!" Ethan shouted to them. "Stuff happens out here! Just don't come crying to me when you fall into a giant sink-hole!" no sooner had he finished shouting at them, did he disappear through the ground. Before they could look around, the other three fell too.**

**The four reached out and lifted the Gems, which immediately began to glow.**

"**Well? What are they?" Kira asked, looking up from the Gem that was glowing yellow in her grasp.**

**Kira fell hard on the ground, looking around at the monsters chasing after her as she opened her mouth to scream. However, her scream came out at an unnaturally high-pitch that forced the other three to cover their ears as they staggered, while the monsters were thrown back. When she realised what she was doing, Kira stopped, and the noise stopped, echoing into the distance.**

"**Ok, so we all agree," Connor spoke as they walked through the school grounds, heading home. "Not to talk about this to anyone? No matter what," he looked at the other three, before Kira stopped, making them stop as well.**

"**I can do better than that," she handed him her yellow Gem. "I'm out. Just forget I was ever here, and I'll do the same," Kira told them firmly.**

"Ok, I admit at first I wasn't so into it," Kira admitted, blushing. "But everything's different now," she pointed out.

"**Please," Doctor Oliver stood behind the case, and pushed it forwards. With a small scowl at Connor, Ari reached out and took her new morpher, and the other three followed suit.**

"**You guys ready?" Ethan glanced to the other three.**

"**Oh yeah," Kira confirmed with a nod.**

"**Ready?"**

"**Ready!"**

"**Dino Thunder, power up!"**

"I've changed. Being a Ranger has changed all of us," Kira spoke as she and Ethan sat on the ground. "Look at you, Connor," she looked up at the Red Ranger. "You are in no way the same dumb jock that you were when we started," she told him.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Connor frowned at the girl.

"Well, you know what I mean," Kira rolled her eyes.

"And if he doesn't, I do," Ethan spoke up with a small grin. "You have come a long way bro," the Blue Ranger told him with a small grin.

"**Well, what do you do in your spare time?" Ethan asked as Connor just smirked, continuing to walk.**

"**Me? I go out with girls," Connor explained casually. "You know, they're the ones at school that smell really good, with the long hair and the make-up," he smirked at the shorter boy, who raised his eyebrows.**

"**I don't think I'm a girl," Ari muttered to Kira.**

"**Oh, it's like that, is it?" Ethan stopped him.**

"**Yeah, it's like that," Connor towered over him, his smirk dropping.**

"Ok, point made," Connor laughed a little as he thought about how much he had changed over the year. "What about you, gamer dude? You're not exactly Mr Cyber Geek anymore," Connor commented, and Ethan smiled brightly as he thought about it.

"**You know, ten years from now, when your hairline is receding and you're playing pick-up soccer in the park because your dreams of turning pro never quite worked out, I'll have my own multi-million dollar software business," Ethan decided, smiling brightly as he told them his dream.**

"Yeah, I am pretty cool, aren't I?" Ethan smiled as he leaned back in his seat.

"Don't get carried away," Connor grinned at him. "But, it's not embarrassing hanging out with you any more," he teased the Blue Ranger.

"Ok, now who needs to learn how to give a compliment?" Kira laughed.

"Ah, it's ok, I speak Connor," Ethan shrugged, not seeming to mind.

"What about Ari?" Connor glanced to the Gold Ranger, who looked up, having been playing with her morpher silently. She hadn't said a word since they had arrived at the lab. "I don't think she's changed that much," he chuckled.

"**What are you doing?" Kira glanced to Ari.**

"**Homework," her reply made them both look up. After a moment, she realised they were staring, and looked up. "What?" she asked, looking blank.**

"**You're doing homework? We've got nothing due for like a week," Ethan frowned in disbelief. Ari shrugged, and looked back down.**

"**I want to keep on top of it," she told them as she started writing again. "This way, I can get some practice in closer to the competition next week," she shrugged.**

"**Oh yeah," Kira remembered something. "Since you started staying with me, you've gotten up later than me, until the other day," Ari paused, but didn't look up. "You've been getting up weirdly early. Why?" she asked with a frown.**

"**I..." Ari bit her lip, and set down her pen. "I'm training," she looked up, and the two frowned at her.**

"**Training?" Ethan repeated.**

"**I've been practising martial arts since I was 11," Ari smiled softly. The two looked shocked. It did explain a lot, however. While the Dino Gems provided them with the power to fight, they had quickly seen that the 16 year old possessed a lot more skill than they did. "Since...well, the other day, I've been getting up early to get back into the way of training," she explained with a smile.**

"**Ari, has everyone ever told you that you're kinda weird?" Ethan asked, and Ari's smile grew.**

"**They never really stop," she replied, and went back to her homework. Ethan and Kira exchanged stares, before returning to what they were doing. Kira glanced up after a moment, and stopped what she was doing.**

"You're definitely still as weird as when you first started at Reefside High," Connor grinned. "But knowing that this isn't your first time saving the world weirds me out even more," he commented, thinking back to the video that showed Ari fighting alongside the Ninja Storm Rangers.

"You know what trips me out? Our teacher is a Power Ranger legend!" Ethan exclaimed as he thought about it.

"**_Guess who's back_," he smiled at his friends, and the video was paused. The three Rangers still standing looked at Ethan quickly.**

"**What did you do that for?" Kira asked in her irritation.**

"**Cause I'm so buggin', I can't even deal!" Ethan defended as all of them took a breath, unable to believe what they were seeing.**

"**Our teacher is the oldest living Power Ranger," Connor breathed.**

"**Not the oldest," all of them spun around quickly as Ethan minimized the video quickly. They stared at Hayley, who stood at the entrance. "Just the best," she spoke softly.**

"**There are two things you guys gotta learn about Dino Gems," Doctor Oliver replied calmly. He was still grinning as he looked to the black-clad woman. "One, you can't choose them. They choose you," he told her as she glared suspiciously at him.**

"**What's the other?" she demanded. Doctor Oliver's smirk only grew, and he raised his arm to reveal a black morpher on his wrist.**

"**They go real well with Dino Morphers," he told her, and combined the still glowing Gem with his new morpher.**

"**Aren't you a little old, _Tommy_?" Elsa sneered, but the fear was visible in her eyes. Doctor Oliver just smirked back.**

"**I may be old, but I can still pull it off," he told her confidently. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" he morphed into a black suit with gold spikes down the sides and helmet. "Just like riding a bike," Doctor Oliver grinned under his helmet.**

"We owe him a lot..." Kira spoke softly.

"Yeah, we do," Ethan agreed. Ari nodded from beside Connor.

"Are you guys forgetting who almost ended it for good?" Connor asked them softly. They thought about how Trent had been taken over by the White Dino Gem, and fossilised Doctor Oliver in an amber casing.

"Look, he was under the Gem's spell, it's different now!" Kira argued with the Red Ranger.

"Yeah, _now _he forgets to tell us Mesogog is his dad!" Connor snapped back. "Glad he's changed..." he muttered.

"I made a promise!" they looked around as Trent walked towards them, with Doctor Oliver following.

"What about your promise to us?" Connor growled back as they stood up.

"I never let my feelings get in the way of my Ranger duties!" Trent argued back, frowning at the Red Ranger.

"That may be true, Trent, but you've put us in a difficult position," Doctor Oliver told him sadly. "Connor may be right. I just don't know how we can ever trust you again," he told the White Ranger.

"Tell me what I can do to make this right," Trent pleaded with his friends as he stood facing them. "I make no excuses for the harm I've caused, but you know, things haven't been easy for me!" he told them.

"**Hey, I'm looking for Hayley? I'm supposed to start work today," the teen said to them, and Kira kept her head low while the other two looked up quickly.**

"**I think I saw her go into the back," Ari smiled at him. "She'll be back in a moment," the young man nodded, smiling back as he thanked her.**

"**Haven't I seen you at Reefside?" Ethan asked curiously.**

"**Yeah, I just moved here last week," he smiled at the Blue Ranger. "My name's Trent," he introduced himself.**

"I never meant to find the White Dino Gem," Trent told them of how he stumbled across an Invisiportal in his father's office. "It found me," he looked up from his wrist. "I tried to fight it, but the power was too strong," he spoke sadly, hating how he had acted when under the power of the Dino Gem. "Anton Mercer is the only family I have! I knew I couldn't break my promise to him, so I decided to fight with you guys until he was freed of that mutant freak forever," he explained.

"You think that we don't understand that?" they all looked around at Ari as the Gold Ranger finally spoke. She stood up, tears swimming in her eyes. "You're not the only one who was taken in when you lost your family," she told him, and Trent's eyes widened.

"Ari?" Doctor Oliver frowned, not having heard this either. Only the other three Rangers knew that Ari had been adopted.

"I was dumped on the doorstep of an orphanage when I was 3 months old. I spent five years there before I was finally adopted by my family," Ari furiously wiped away her tears as she told them this. "Yeah, I feel grateful to my family for what they'd done for me, but if it was my dad, I would have told the others," she told the stunned White Ranger. "Because we're a team, and you should trust that we would help you save your dad. That's what we do," Trent remained completely silent as Ari finished speaking, and ran off.

"Ari!" Kira ran after her, and found her sitting on the porch.

"I'm sorry," Ari mumbled, her arm over her eyes. Sitting beside her, Kira pulled her into a hug.

"There's nothing for you to apologise for. You were right," Kira told her softly as Ari tried to stop crying.

"Trent's a good guy, I know that," Ari finally managed to stop her crying, and pulled away from the Yellow Ranger as she looked out at the trees, wiping the remains of her tears away. "I don't want him to lose his powers cause of this, he's a great Ranger and we need his help to beat Mesogog," she mumbled as she looked down at her hands.

"I know..." Kira sighed. "But can we trust him again?" her voice was sad, and Ari looked at her.

"I think we can," Ari admitted. "Because of how he protected his dad. I know he's the same with this team. Especially you," despite her tears, Ari couldn't help but giggle, and Kira frowned at her.

"Do you ever quit with that?" she growled, going red.

"Not really," Ari sniffed. "It's true though, isn't it?" she smiled, and Kira rolled her eyes, trying to hide her own smile. "You guys are way more stubborn than Zoe and Hunter were about how they felt about each other, and I never thought that would be possible," she teased, and Kira slapped the back of her head, making Ari yelp and scoot away. "You still react the same as them though," she muttered, rubbing the back of her head.

"Can we get back to the subject of trusting Trent?" Kira scowled at her.

"Only you can decide if you trust him or not," Ari smiled at her. The Yellow Ranger scowled at her. "You just gotta let him prove that you can trust him," Ari told Kira, who sighed, looking a little hesitant to do so.

"Hey guys!" they looked around as Ethan's voice echoed up to them. "We've got trouble in town!" he told them. They ran down the stairs to see the computer screen, and found a powerful looking monster storming through town.

"Let me come with you, please. I can prove that I can be trusted," Trent pleaded with them.

"Alright, you get one chance," Doctor Oliver told him.

"What? You're not seriously gonna trust him!" Connor growled furiously.

"Look at that thing!" Kira pointed at the monster. "We have no choice," she told the reluctant Red Ranger.

"We always have a choice," Ethan spoke up. "And I choose that Trent comes with us," he walked over and stood beside the White Ranger.

"Me too," Ari nodded as she stood beside him. When she noticed how alarmed Trent looked, she shrugged. "I got my anger out. I'm back to being weird again," she told him. Kira walked over and stood beside them as well.

"Thank you. I won't let you down," Trent told them.

"I hope not," Connor growled.

"Ready?" Doctor Oliver called.

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!"

"Dino Power!"

The Rangers reached where the monster was lurking, but as soon as he saw them, he laughed, and disappeared.

"What the-?" Connor cried out, looking around. "Look out!" he yelled, before a massive hand knocked them all to the ground. "Oh man!" Connor looked up as the monster stood over them, massive. They barely managed to dodge as he stomped the ground where they had been lying, before blasting him. The monster disappeared, laughing loudly. "Where'd he go?" Connor cried out.

"Miss me?" the monster reappeared nearby, back to his original height. He blasted them again, and they cried out in pain, hitting the ground again. Doctor Oliver and Trent managed to avoid the blast, and ran at the monster, only to be blasted into the water.

"Guys!" Connor yelled as they ran to the water, but there was no sign of the other two.

"Two washed up Rangers!" the monster mocked loudly.

"Triassic time?" Ethan suggested to the Red Ranger.

"You know it!" Connor nodded as he held up the shield. The other three passed their power to him, powering him up. "Time for a little intergalactic action!" the Red Ranger called. He and the monster disappeared, fighting in space, before Connor crashed down to Earth hard. "That was a long way down!" he groaned, having lost his Triassic powers in the fall.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" the monster laughed at him as the Red Ranger struggled to get up.

"Yeah, that's original!" Ari rolled her eyes as she, Ethan, Kira and Doctor Oliver ran towards him. The monster turned and blasted them across their fronts, knocking them to the ground.

"Leave them alone!" Connor yelled, still trying to get up.

"Very well, I'll destroy you!" the monster decided. He shot his arm out towards the Red Ranger, only for Trent to jump in the way and grab it. He let out a groan as he took damage, but held fast.

"Not so fast," he growled at the monster.

"Step aside, it's the Red Ranger I want!" the monster told him loudly.

"The Rangers are a team! If you're gonna destroy someone, you better start with me," Trent snarled at him. He then released the monster, who yanked his arm back as Connor stared up at Trent.

"Trent saved Connor!" Kira smiled under her helmet.

"Now where's all the tough talk?" Trent challenged as Connor managed to get to his feet.

"I'm through talking!" the monster declared.

"Good. Cause so am I," Trent drew his dagger and attacked the monster several times, knocking him back. "Altogether guys!" he called as they stood together. They combined their weapons, forming their cannon-like weapon.

"Z-Rex Blaster, super mode!"

"Oh boy," the monster gulped, regretting his words instantly.

"Ready?"

"Aim!"

"Fire!" they fired the powerful blast, and destroyed the monster.

"Energy transmitted..." the monster muttered suddenly, confusing the group.

"What's he doing?" Trent wondered.

"I don't like the sound of that," Ari gulped. The ground began to shake, and they looked around as something rose from the water. "Oh come on! Stop copying our Megazord!" she yelled as they looked up at a copy of their Megazord.

"How do we fight that?" Connor groaned.

"Only one way! Brachio!" Doctor Oliver called on his Zord, which brought the others with it. "I'll take the Triassic Rover. You man the Megazord," he told his students, and they combined their Zords to make their Megazord, while Doctor Oliver piloted the Mezodon Rover. The two Megazords began to fight it off, but it knocked them backwards.

"Call it guys!" Connor yelled as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Dino Drill!"

"Engage!" they leapt into the air and shot through the Megazord replicant, while the Mezodon Rover attacked as well. It crashed to the ground, and exploded, but as the Rangers cheered, the explosion seemed to reverse, and the monster stood up in the replicant's place.

"Thanks for the energy boost!" it taunted.

"Is this a joke?" Connor groaned.

"No way. Jokes are funny!" Ari yelled.

"This is to me!" the monster then blasted them, and the Rangers cried out as they fell backwards. Trent called on his own Megazord, and faced the monster.

"Leave my friends alone!" the White Ranger yelled.

"Fine, I'll start with you," the monster decided, and blasted the Megazord. However, it leapt into the air, easily avoiding the attack.

"Tail Attack!" the Megazord spun through the air and attacked him several times, before landing and striking him again. "Dino Stegozord Stinger!" he finished off the monster, and the others called out their thanks to him.

1-2-3-4-5

"Dude, you rocked!" Kira smiled at Trent as they walked into the lab.

"Bro, you were awesome out there," Ethan nodded at him as the White Ranger smiled bashfully.

"Thanks for the help Trent, it's always a lot easier when the whole team works together," Doctor Oliver told him as he sat down.

"Thanks Doctor O," Trent smiled at him. "I meant what I said. I'm in this for good. That is...if you'll have me," he hesitated as he glanced to Connor, who had his back to them.

"Well, I vote yes," Kira spoke instantly, smiling at the boy.

"Me too," Ethan nodded.

"Same here," Ari smiled, sitting on one of the desks. "But just so you know, Zoe once nearly put Hunter through a wall for keeping a secret. You do it again, and I'll set Zoe on you," Trent looked terrified at how innocently Ari spoke.

"Don't worry, that was only because it nearly got Ari killed," Kira whispered to him. "Just don't do that, and you won't have a problem," she told him as Trent looked at the girl. He noticed her not so obvious threat just as easily.

"Connor?" Doctor Oliver glanced to Connor, who still hadn't spoken. Connor sighed, and looked around.

"Just one question," Connor looked at Trent. "Are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, there's a very real chance you'll have to face Mesogog one day," he pointed out. Trent sighed, looking down for a moment, before looking up, his resolve clear.

"If Mesogog wins, my father is lost forever," Trent told him. "Mesogog has to be defeated, no matter what," Connor nodded, approving of Trent's answer, and the determination behind it.

* * *

**I wasn't sure how to have Ari react to Trent's secret at first, but then I realised the similarity of Ari being adopted and Trent being taken in by Mercer so I thought her getting mad was the best reaction!**

**I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	26. Thunder Struck Part 1

Chapter 26: Thunder Struck Part 1

"Ari, shut up or I will push you off your board," Kira warned the Gold Ranger as she walked beside her, on their way to the Cyber Café. Ari giggled as Kira tried to stop blushing.

"I'm just saying, what if Trent asks you?" she asked, and avoided Kira as the shorter girl lunged for her.

"He's not going to, so I'm not going to answer you!" Kira snapped at her. Ari laughed, scooping her skateboard into her arms, and darted inside as Kira followed her. "So if you don't drop it, I'm going to hurt you," she warned the girl. Ari just laughed, and dropped into a seat beside Connor and Ethan.

"Hey Ari, hey Kira," Connor grinned to the pair as Kira sat opposite Ari. "Who are you two going to the prom with?" he asked, having been discussing it with Ethan.

"I don't have a date," Kira shrugged.

"You don't seem too worried," Connor raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a dance," Kira told him, not sounding too fussed.

"Ok...what about you?" Connor glanced to Ari. "Who are you going with?" he asked as she pulled a box of strawberries from her bag and began to eat.

"I'm not going," he frowned in disbelief at her. "I was thinking maybe visiting Zoe...or maybe back to Briarwood to hang out there," she told him, not caring much about prom either.

"But...it's prom!" he exclaimed. Ari just blinked at him, looking indifferent. "Have you been asked by someone?" he asked, and Ari went red, looking down at the table.

"Three guys have asked her out," Kira smirked, finally able to embarrass the 16 year old. "A guy from maths class, a guy from science class, oh, and that guy who bullied Ethan for a while," she remembered with a nod.

"Derrick?" Connor burst out laughing. "Wow, who'd have thought the weird kid who told him he had self-esteem issues would be his type," he laughed as Ethan tried to hide his own laughter. Ari frowned at him, still bright red as the three laughed. "Why don't you want to go? I get Ethan's whole smart guy no date thing, but if guys have asked you..." he trailed off.

"I don't know them, and I'm not interested in anything other than being friends," Ari shrugged as she looked around. "And between finishing the school year, skateboarding, and our other extra curricular activity, I don't really have time for making new friends," she told them, and looked down. "Besides...after school finishes, I head back to Briarwood," she reminded them, and they all fell silent. They were all used to having Ari around. "Anyway, if I went to prom, it means wearing a dress!" Ari exclaimed, looking horrified.

"And you've already worn a dress this year, the world might end if it happened again," Kira grinned, and Ari went red.

"That was against my will. Stupid Pharaoh," she muttered, before looking up as Devin approached them.

"Hey Connor, got a minute?" he asked the Red Ranger, who nodded.

"Sure," he looked up at Devin, who glanced to the other three. "What's up?" he asked.

"I just need a quick chat...in private?" the boy told him, and Connor got up to talk to Devin quietly. Ari giggled as the three Rangers still sitting exchanged amused looks.

1-2-3-4-5

After being alerted by Doctor Oliver that Zeltrax was back and was attacking an innocent civilian, the Rangers all met up and faced the machine.

"Where's the woman Zeltrax?" Doctor Oliver called to them.

"Safe and sound, Rangers. Come check if you like," he challenged them. They ran at him and attacked, but he easily knocked them around. Ari caught him from behind with two energy-balls, but as she aimed a kick at his back, he turned and caught her ankle, swinging her into Trent. They got back up and continued fighting him, but Zeltrax was much stronger. "Your time is up Rangers!" he called to them as he tossed Connor back.

"Guys, you know what time it is," Doctor Oliver told them. They all nodded to him, and Connor stepped forwards.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" their morphers revealed themselves.

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!" drawing their weapons, the Rangers ran at Zeltrax again, this time fighting him off more easily. As Doctor Oliver was knocked backwards, a cry echoed down to them.

"Help! Somebody help me!" they all looked up at the fearful voice.

"You guys deal with Zeltrax. I'll help her," Doctor Oliver told them. Zeltrax turned and blasted where Connor and Ethan were standing, but the Red and Blue Rangers leapt through the air. They lunged at Zeltrax, who managed to dodge their attacks, before being blasted by Kira. He stumbled backwards, before blocking Ethan and Trent's weapons. They grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back, leaving him open.

"Go Kira!" Trent called to the girl, but as she ran at him, he blasted her and she fell to the ground. He then knocked the two holding him to the ground, and kicked Ari as she ran at him again. Connor leapt into the air to attack him, but Zeltrax blasted him in the stomach and he crashed to the ground.

"Are you up to the new and improved Zeltrax?" the machine called, and called on more power. He changed forms, laughing as the Rangers got back to their feet.

"You've seen one Zeltrax, you've seen them all!" Connor yelled at him, unimpressed. "Shield of Triumph!" he called on the shield, which Kira, Ethan and Ari powered up for him. "Triassic Ranger! Battilizer mode, engage!" he called on his Battilizer. "Battle blast!" he flew into the air and blasted Zeltrax, causing a massive explosion.

"Guys!" Doctor Oliver called as they cheered on the Red Ranger. They looked around to see him supporting the woman, who stumbled along.

"Who is that?" Ari wondered curiously.

"Come on," Connor nodded to them, and they ran over to the pair as Doctor Oliver helped her stand.

"It's Elsa!" Trent was first to recognise their ex-principal.

"No way!" they all stared at her.

"Elsa...yes..." the woman spoke weakly as she looked at them. "That's what that creature called me. Elsa..." she then collapsed again, and Doctor Oliver caught her.

"We'd better get her back to the lab. Figure out what's going on," he told them, and they nodded, wondering just what was going on.

1-2-3-4-5

"Trent, do you know what happened?" as Elsa lay on a cot unconscious, machines strapped to her, Doctor Oliver turned to the White Ranger. Trent had sneaked into Mesogog's lair to spy on the monster using his powers, to find out what was going on with his father.

"Mesogog's powering up a laser that will transform humans into mutant dinosaurs," Trent explained as Hayley scanned the woman.

"Ew, I don't want to be a mutant dinosaur," Ari looked horrified.

"It's ok Ari, we're not even sure you _are _human," Connor smirked, and she slapped his arm.

"Mesogog drained Elsa of her energy to use on the beam," Trent continued as Doctor Oliver frowned at Connor and Ari.

"That can't be enough to run that kind of equipment," Hayley frowned.

"He's gonna use the Dino Gems to get the rest of the power," Trent explained, and all of them frowned, not understanding the way he phrased his words.

"What do you mean, he's going to use the Dino Gems?" Connor asked him slowly.

"Yeah, how's he gonna get them?" Ethan frowned.

"I'm going to give them to him," Trent told him casually. The rest of the Rangers froze instantly, going on alert.

"I'm not going to give _anyone _my Gem," Connor growled at him.

"Look, just hear me out. You want to get onto that island. Mesogog wants the Gems," Trent didn't look intimidated by the taller boy, who was glaring at him suspiciously. "If I hand them to him, I can open a portal for you," he told Connor, and walked away. "Once you get inside, you can destroy the beam, and Mesogog in the process," he explained. "And I can rescue my father," he looked over at Doctor Oliver. "But there's one other thing. Ari," the White Ranger sighed, looking at the Gold Ranger.

"What about me?" Ari frowned. "And I swear if you say because of my powers..." she trailed off, and Trent offered a weak smile.

"Mesogog believes that you hold the key to returning the world to the prehistoric era," Ari just groaned, and Connor stepped in front of her.

"The Gems are one thing, but you aren't taking Ari there," he told the White Ranger.

"I agree with Connor. It's too risky," Doctor Oliver told him.

"Do we really have another choice?" Hayley sighed as she looked at him.

"She's right..." Kira nodded, looking at Ari with worry. "He's gonna get that thing going eventually," she pointed out. "This could be our only shot," Doctor Oliver sighed, knowing that she was right.

"I'll do it," they looked around at Ari. "Kira's right, this might be our only chance to take Mesogog down before he gets that dino-beam going. And I don't care what Connor says, I don't want to run the risk of being turned into a mutant dinosaur like Mesogog," she shivered at the thought, and the others sighed.

1-2-3-4-5

"This better work," Connor warned Trent as he placed his red Gem into the case, where the other five Gems sat.

"I'll call when the portal's open," Trent didn't respond to him as he walked past. "You ready?" he looked to Ari, who was chewing on her thumbnail.

"Is it too late to call in sick?" she asked, and he nodded. "Thought so. Let's go then!" she spoke loudly as she walked past him.

"Be careful!" Kira called to the pair, and Trent smiled at her before he and Ari left the lab.

"You know that she was mostly talking to you, right?"Ari grinned to Trent, who rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, or I might actually hand you over to Mesogog for real," he warned, and Ari laughed.

"So why haven't you asked her to prom yet?" Trent just groaned as they headed to his home to find the Invisiportal that would take them to the island.

1-2-3-4-5

Ari's laughter had quickly stopped as she and Trent stood in his father's office, where the Invisiportal was hidden.

"You confuse me, you know that Ari?" the White Ranger spoke up, and Ari glanced at him, frowning a little. "Why did you agree to do this? I could be leading you into a real trap, right?" he asked curiously. Ari looked surprised, before smiling.

"Because I trust you," she told him simply. Trent frowned. "I've been told I trust too easily, but I'm usually right to," Ari shrugged, still smiling. "You're doing this for your dad. That's why I trust you. Because you're like me," she laughed a little.

"I...am?" Trent was completely confused.

"You put yourself in harms way for the people you care about. You don't care about what happens to you, as long as everyone else is safe," Trent realised that she was right. "You did the same for Connor during the fight the other day. You got hurt helping him. That's why I trust you," Ari smiled. "Now, let's finish this before I get scared and run away," she sighed, her smile falling.

"You're definitely weird Ari. Thanks," Trent ruffled her hair, and Ari swatted him away. "Guys, we're heading through. Be ready when I call you," he spoke through his morpher to the other Rangers. "The portal will only be open for a short time," Trent glanced to Ari, who nodded.

"_Got it_," Doctor Oliver responded, and with a deep breath, Trent reached out and opened the portal. Both he and Ari moved through it, heading to the fortress.

1-2-3-4-5

Trent walked into the main lab, where he knew Mesogog would be waiting for him. In one hand, he held the box of Dino Gems, and with the other, he restrained Ari lightly.

"It's about time!" Mesogog snarled at the White Ranger. "Now give me the Gems, and the girl!" he ordered as he rose from his throne.

"Not so fast!" Trent yanked Ari back and raised the Gems as Mesogog reached for them. "Where's my father?" he demanded.

"Trent, you need to stop this, please," playing along as Trent requested, Ari struggled in his grasp just enough to look believable. Before Trent could speak, however, Mesogog blasted him with his mind warp, and Trent cried out, falling to his knees as he was forced to drop the box into Mesogog's hands.

"You should know by now, that I can't be trusted!" the mutant told him as he grabbed Ari's arm.

"Yeah? Well, neither can I!" Ari's energy-ball slammed into his face, and with a cry, Mesogog released her, and was forced to stop the torture on Trent, who groaned weakly. She lunged for the Gems, only for Mesogog to blast her with the same energy. The Gold Ranger cried out, and fell on one knee as pain exploded through her head. When she fell forwards, the pain stopped, and Mesogog laughed.

"Once I have harnessed the power of the Gems, your power will be the fuel to create my world!" Mesogog declared as he turned, opening the case of Gems. Ari groaned, and looked over as Trent edged towards the portal button, and managed to activate it. Alarms blared, and Mesogog spun around with a snarl. "You!" he spat at the White Ranger. "You did this!" he roared.

"You should know by now, you can't trust me!" Trent told him from the ground. "It's over Mesogog! You're finished!" he smirked.

"Honestly, did you really think the others would hand over their Gems?" Ari laughed as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Thanks to your precious Dino Gems, the world will soon worship at my feet! And this planet will be as it once was!" he grabbed Ari and yanked her to her feet. "In the claws of the mighty reptiles!" he laughed. "Now all we need is you!" he pulled her over to a machine, but Ari used her Dino Powers to knock him back, moving away as quickly as possible, until he blasted her again and she cried out.

"Ari no!" Trent struggled to get to his feet, but Ari was unable to fight back as Mesogog snarled and grabbed her.

"Your attempts at resisting are useless!" he told her, and slammed her hand down on the machine. Ari screamed as golden light surrounded her and moved towards the machine, powering up the laser. However, it wasn't very long before the machine suddenly exploded, and both Ari and Mesogog were thrown aside.

"Ari, come on!" Trent helped the Gold Ranger to her feet and grabbed the Dino Gems from the machine.

"_Trent, Ari, get out of there before the portal network shuts down_!" Hayley spoke up through their morphers.

"I've gotta find my father, I'll be right there! I know another way out!" Trent told her.

"_Trent, there's no time! Go, now_!" Hayley pleaded, but Trent ignored her.

"Ari, go, I'll join you when I find my father," he told the girl, who shook her head.

"I'm not leaving without you Trent. Or your dad. That's why I'm here," Ari told him firmly, and with a frustrated growl, Trent led the way down the corridors as the main lab exploded, leaving Mesogog to face the explosions. They found Doctor Mercer lying on the ground in one of the other rooms, barely conscious.

"Dad, come on, we gotta go!" Trent pleaded with him as the two teenagers helped him up.

"Trent...I'm sorry...this is my fault..." Doctor Mercer spoke weakly.

"Not now dad, we gotta go!" Trent told him, and they hurried out of the room. Ari blasted the Tyrannodrones that stood in their way, and they ran along, until part of the fortress collapsed in front of them. "No!" Trent cried out in horror as they backed away, the ground shaking beneath them.

"Is there another way out?" Ari asked, looking to the boy who knew the fortress well.

"Yeah, but we have to go all the way around, there's no way we'll get out in time!" Trent told her, looking terrified. "I told you that you should have gone on!" he yelled, and Ari rolled her eyes.

"And leave you and your dad to die? I don't think so!" she shouted back. "We're a team Trent, we're in this together!" she insisted, and the light that had surrounded her before returned, this time working its way around both Trent and Doctor Mercer too. The next thing they knew, they were falling to the ground outside where the portal would have taken them.

"See?" they heard Ethan laugh, and looked up to see the others running towards them.

"I gotta tell you Ari, that power of yours is pretty sweet," Trent smiled in relief as they stood up.

"I hear that," Ari laughed.

"You guys are alright!" Kira smiled in relief as they reached them.

"What about Mesogog?" Doctor Oliver asked quickly.

"I don't think he made it," Trent told them, and held out the case. "But just in case," he opened it to reveal their Gems, and Doctor Oliver smiled in relief.

"Tommy...I don't know where to start..." Doctor Mercer looked to his old friend, who shook his head.

"We'll talk later. We'd better get back to the lab," he told them. "We still have Zeltrax to deal with," he pointed out, and Ari groaned loudly.

"Great...just what I wanted to hear," she muttered. While destroying the beam had returned her power to her, Ari was still tired after a long day, and it wasn't over yet.

* * *

**Just one chapter left to go! A lot happened in this chapter, and I spent almost the entire time that I was writing this story figuring out how I was going to end it. Will Ari be going to prom? And if so, who with?**

**Hope that you enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	27. Thunder Struck Part 2

Chapter 27: Thunder Struck Part 2

Returning to Doctor Oliver's lab to rest for a bit before Zeltrax showed up once again, the Rangers arrived to find that their base had been completely destroyed.

"What happened?" Kira gasped as she looked around. Machines were still smoking, and some of the walls had fallen.

"It's trashed," Ethan was horrified as they all looked around.

"Elsa..." Doctor Oliver frowned, but saw no sign of the woman. When something began to beep, Connor frowned.

"What's this?" he spotted a small black device in the rubble. He grabbed it, holding it up to Hayley.

"It's like a black box. I keep a security camera in it," the genius explained. She hurried over to the computer, which was somehow still intact, and plugged it in as everyone gathered around. "Let's take a look," she found the footage that had been taken just before the lab had been destroyed, and they watched Zeltrax drag Elsa away.

"This is just like when Lothor broke into Ninja Ops..." Ari shivered at the memory.

"This is all my fault..." they looked around at Doctor Mercer. "I should have stopped him," he muttered, his guilt weighing heavily over him.

"Don't blame yourself for what you did when you were him," Trent told him with a frown.

"Trent's right Anton. This was about me and Smitty. Nothing to do with you," Doctor Oliver agreed.

"But if there were no Mesogog-"

"We can't go back and change what's happened," Doctor Oliver stopped him. "Mesogog is gone, we should be thankful for that," he pointed out.

"So what now? I guess we don't hang up our morphers just yet," Connor frowned.

"No," Doctor Oliver shook his head gravely.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, Kira, you should go home and rest, we've got this covered," Doctor Oliver told the pair as they cleared the wreckage from his basement.

"I wouldn't be able to rest even if I tried," Ari shrugged as she tossed a broken piece of equipment into the pile with a loud clank.

"Me neither," Kira agreed as she lifted a piece of a pillar off a machine. "How are you feeling Ari? Trent told us that Mesogog started to use your power to fuel the machine," she glanced to the Gold Ranger.

"I'm fine. When Hayley destroyed the beam, he hadn't taken that much," Ari replied with a smile. "Too bad I still don't have any clue what it is," she complained, and with a sigh, she tossed another broken piece of metal over her shoulder and onto the pile.

"I wonder why Zeltrax took Elsa in the first place," Kira commented as she placed a machine that didn't look completely destroyed next to Hayley as she worked on repairing everything else.

"A hostage situation, I suppose," Ari shrugged.

"Ari's right," Doctor Oliver nodded. "He knows that as long as he has an innocent bystander, we won't be able to put our full strength into defeating him," he pointed out. Kira nodded, knowing that he was right. They would have to focus on saving Elsa before they could defeat Zeltrax.

"_Doctor O, I've found Zeltrax_," Ethan's voice spoke up through their communicators. "_And I don't think he's here for the double feature_," he commented.

"Ranger up. We'll meet you there," Doctor Oliver told him.

"_Got it_," Ethan ended the communication, and the Black Ranger glanced to the girls standing in the wreckage of the lab. There was a loud crash as Ari tossed the broken machine in her hands aside, and walked over to the other two.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" they morphed and headed out, meeting up with Connor, Trent and Ethan as they looked up at the Zord towering over the city.

"Check out his Zord!" Ethan groaned.

"Power Rangers! Surrender, or my most precious cargo will be destroyed!" Zeltrax called down to them.

"I bet he's got Elsa in there!" Connor realised in horror.

"Correct!" Zeltrax confirmed with a laugh. "I wanted her to see your demise!" he mocked them. "Triptoids!" the Rangers looked back down at the ground as the strange creatures appeared from nowhere. The Rangers began to fight off the creatures with their weapons, until Zeltrax began to attack from his Zord, blasting the ground around him. He narrowly avoided the Rangers, who were thrown several metres by the explosion.

"This has gone far enough!" Doctor Oliver growled as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Trent, can you handle the Triptoids?" he looked to the White Ranger as he pushed himself up with his sword.

"Not a problem," Trent replied confidently, and with a yell ran to take out the Triptoids.

"You guys call the Zords. I'm gonna get Elsa," Doctor Oliver told the other four Rangers.

"Be careful!" Ari called as he ran towards the Zelzord. There was clearly a trap waiting for him.

"Let's go guys! Dino Zords!" Connor yelled, calling on their Zords. They leapt up into them, combining to make their Megazord, and grabbed Zeltrax's Zord, holding him in place long enough for Doctor Oliver to slip into one of the pipes.

"I'm in!" he called to the Rangers.

"We've got your back!" Connor told him, before they were blasted backwards by Zeltrax. The Rangers cried out as they were thrown around the cockpit, but stayed on their feet.

"I'm gonna help Doctor O!" Kira decided.

"Kira!" Connor yelled to the Yellow Ranger, but she leapt from their Megazord and into one of the pipes before they could stop her.

"Come on guys, we gotta hold him off long enough for them to get out!" Ari called to the Red and Blue Rangers, who nodded. They ran at the Zord again, only for green light to wrap around them. The Megazord was yanked off the ground, and slammed back down.

"Ethan! Can you handle the Mezodon?" Connor called to him as they groaned.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Ethan grinned, swapping to the other Megazord. The pair of Megazords were blasted backwards again, and they cried out, trying to stay on their feet.

"_Guys, I got her_!" Kira's voice echoed from their morphers. "_We're coming out_!" she told them.

"Go Kira!" Ethan laughed, before the sky suddenly turned dark. "What's going on?" Ethan asked, his grin dropping.

"No idea," Connor looked blank.

"Whatever it is, it's not going to be good," Ari frowned. The sky had been blanketed by clouds, blocking out the sun. They were blasted again, and cried out. "We've got to get Kira and the others out of there!" the Gold Ranger yelled. The Mezodon Megazord ran at Zeltrax's Zord, and attacked, grabbing it from behind.

"Hold on, Ethan! I've got an idea!" Connor called out suddenly. The Thundersaurus Megazord ran towards the Zelzord, and stabbed the Tyranno-tail arm through the front. As they pulled it back out, Kira leapt out with Elsa.

"Nice one Connor," Ari grinned to the Red Ranger. A moment later, Doctor Oliver leapt out, closely followed by Zeltrax. His Zord then blasted Connor and Ari, and they staggered backwards. They were hit again, and barely managed to stay on their feet.

"_Guys, you're gonna need all the Zords_," Doctor Oliver told them quickly.

"Right! Dino Zords, full power!" Connor yelled, calling on all of the Zords. They all began to glow, and blasted the Zelzord, knocking it down. "We did it!" he laughed as it exploded.

"Uh, hold that thought," Ari gulped as it got back up, the explosions fading quickly.

"No way!" Connor cried out.

"Again?" Ethan groaned. The ground began to shake, and the Megazords were thrown about.

"_You've gotta sacrifice the Zords_!" Doctor Oliver yelled up at them.

"We can't!" Connor yelled, horrified at the thought.

"No, Doctor Oliver!" Ethan was equally as horrified.

"As much as I hate to say it, I think it might be the only way!" Ari told them as they struggled not to get sucked in by the Zelzord.

"Alright," Connor sighed. "Engage auto-destruct!" he yelled as they let their Zords move.

"I'm trying!" Ethan called out, stumbling around the cockpit of the Mezodon Megazord.

"Goodbye old friends," Connor closed his eyes as they slammed into the Zord, and the explosion echoed around the city as the sky returned to normal.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari...Ari..." the Gold Ranger groaned as she heard a voice echoing towards her in the foggy mess that was her head.

"Five more minutes Kira, I swear I won't be late for class," she mumbled.

"We'll discuss that you think I sound like Kira later," Ari groaned again and opened her eyes to look up at Connor. "Are you ok?" he asked, helping her to sit up. He was covered in soot and dirt from the explosion, and there were bruises showing through where the dirt hadn't settled.

"It only hurts when I breathe," Ari managed a grin, knowing that she probably looked as bad, if not worse.

"So just don't breathe, I think a lot of problems would be sorted," Ethan managed a laugh, but it quickly turned into a groan.

"You deserve that," Connor told him as he looked over to the Blue Ranger. They got to their feet, and stumbled away from the wreckage of their Zords before anyone saw them.

"Ethan? Connor! Ari!" they emerged from the smoke and heard Kira call their names. Doctor Oliver, Trent, Kira and Elsa ran over to them, looking relieved. "That was impressive," Kira smiled at them.

"Tell me that when it stops hurting," Ari laughed weakly.

"But the Zords...they're destroyed..." Ethan realised sadly.

"It was the only way," Doctor Oliver told them gently. "You guys did what you had to do," he said.

"It's true. Nothing else would have stopped him," Trent agreed.

"So that's it then?" Connor frowned. "It can't just be over..." the Red Ranger shook his head.

"It doesn't feel over," Ari shook her head.

"Of course it's not over!" they heard a familiar roar, and looked around quickly to see Mesogog standing facing them, snarling at them furiously.

"Why do they always come back for more?" Doctor Oliver sighed.

"You've destroyed my plans of creating a perfect world!" Mesogog snarled at them. "However, I was able to absorb enough Dino Gem energy, and enough of the Gold Ranger's power, to complete my transfiguration!" he declared. "Witness the face of your final battle!" he began to glow gold as his entire appearance changed, becoming even more hideous and powerful looking.

"Ok, it was definitely a good idea to stop his plan. I do not want to look like that!" Ari looked disgusted as Mesogog snarled and laughed.

"You better step aside Elsa," Doctor Oliver told the woman, who nodded and ran to hide. "You guys ready for one more battle?" he then asked the five teenagers that stood beside him.

"Oh yeah," Connor grinned at him. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"

"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!"

"Tyranno Power!"

"Tricera Power!"

"Ptera Power!"

"Plesio Power!"

"Brachio Power!"

"Drago Power!"

"Dino Rangers!" they yelled, calling on their greater power of Super Dino Mode.

"This is it!" Connor called, and they ran at Mesogog, attacking the monster. Mesogog was incredibly powerful, blocking Doctor Oliver, Trent and Kira's weapons and throwing them backwards. Calling on her Plesio blades, Ari spun through the air and sliced down Mesogog's back, making him roar and thrash around. He caught her on the side of the head with the back of his clawed hand, and she slammed into a car.

"I got him!" Connor landed on his back, trying to hold him steady. However, after a few moments of Mesogog thrashing around, the Red Ranger was thrown off. Trent ran at him with Doctor Oliver and Ethan, and they grabbed the monster, but he was too strong and too quick, throwing them off and blasting them. He then slammed Doctor Oliver into a car and blasted him from close range.

"Doctor O!" Kira and Ari ran to help the fallen Black Ranger, and while Kira leapt over the car he kicked at them, Ari used her ninja powers, streaking around it and towards Mesogog, who then blasted her in the chest. With a cry, Ari went hurtling back, slamming into Kira.

"My turn!" Connor dodged Mesogog's tongue, but it wrapped around him and tossed him aside.

"Hovercraft Cycle!" Ethan called on his bike, and blasted Mesogog, only for him to be blasted again.

"Over here, Meso Mess!" Connor taunted, making the monster turn away from the Blue Ranger. "Triassic Ranger! Battilizer Mode!" he called on his Battilizer and leapt into the air, blasting the monster and sending him flying into crates.

"You did it Connor," Kira smiled as they all regrouped, exhausted and bruised.

"Thanks," he grinned, before the rubble was blasted off Mesogog and he appeared again, unhurt and laughing loudly.

"Unbelievable," Doctor Oliver groaned, and with a laugh, Mesogog seemed to split in two.

"He's replicating!" Connor stared as the two monsters then split into four.

"One was bad enough. How do we fight them all?" Ethan demanded.

"Guys, we have to use all of our powers," Doctor Oliver realised, turning to the five. "It's the only way," he told them.

"Right," Connor nodded, and the others agreed.

"Do it Connor!" Trent looked to their leader.

"Power Rangers!" they all summoned their energy into glowing orbs in front of them.

"I summon the power of the Gem!" Connor yelled.

"Dino Gems, unite!" the six threw their power into the air and it combined to make a giant dinosaur that roared at Mesogog. It lunged for Mesogog, and destroyed him and his copies.

When the explosions died down, the six demorphed instantly, and looked to each other.

"Everyone ok?" Doctor Oliver asked them.

"I feel...different," Connor frowned at him.

"Yeah, like normal again," Trent nodded as they all lifted their Gems curiously.

"Me too," Kira agreed.

"It feels over now," Ari commented softly. "Our Ranger power, it's gone now," she told them, and the others glanced to her quickly.

"It took everything the Gems had to destroy Mesogog," Doctor Oliver explained softly.

"So...these are just...?"

"Ancient artifacts," Doctor Oliver finished for Connor. "That will look great in a museum," he told them.

"Hello Rangers," they all looked around to see Cassidy and Devin standing with Elsa, and their eyes widened in horror.

"So, you know then?" Connor frowned as they walked over to them.

"Well, I kinda already knew, but I had to show Cassidy in person," Devin grinned proudly.

"This is like, the greatest thing ever!" Cassidy exclaimed, and hugged Devin suddenly.

"Yeah, for you maybe," Ari told her with a frown.

"And we've got it all on tape!" Cassidy didn't seem to hear her. "You know, a reporter could make a whole career out of this!" she told them. The five teenagers looked at Doctor Oliver, not knowing what to do.

"Cassidy..." Doctor Oliver spoke up. "Do you realise what our lives will be like if that tape gets out?" he asked her gently.

"Yeah, I do," she smiled at him. "That's why I'm giving this to you," she held out the tape, and Doctor Oliver took it slowly, looking very confused.

"Wait...Cassidy passing up the scoop of a lifetime?" Kira stared at her.

"Guys, I'm pretty sure I hit my head," Ari glanced to the others, her eyes wide.

"Why are you giving that up?" Kira asked, not understanding.

"Because you're my friends," Cassidy told her softly. "It wouldn't be right to ruin your lives to make mine better. Not after everything you've done for us," she told them gratefully.

"I always knew there was a heart deep down in there somewhere," Ethan smiled at her.

"Yeah, I just needed someone to help me find it," Cassidy smiled, going red. "Now if you'll excuse us..."

"Yeah, we're off to the prom," Devin finished for her with a wide grin. He linked arms with her, and began to walk off.

"Finally," Kira rolled her eyes. "I thought those two were _never _going to get together," she smirked.

"I'm still thinking that about someone else," Ari whispered to her, and yelped when Kira slapped the back of her head.

"And just like that, life goes back to normal," Connor grinned as Ari hid on his other side, and he messed up her hair.

"Our lives may be normal, but trust me. It will never be the same," Doctor Oliver told them, and they headed off away from the wreckage.

1-2-3-4-5

"Ari, get out of there now!" Kira banged on the bathroom door, rolling her eyes.

"No!" was the childish response that she received.

"I will break down this door, you know I will!" Kira warned her.

"You will do no such thing," her father warned as he passed, chuckling a little as Kira shot him a glare. "You look lovely by the way sweetheart," he told his daughter.

"So will Ari, if I can drag her out of there," Kira glared at the door, making Mr Ford laugh.

"Not happening!" Ari yelled back out.

"You already agreed to go! And _I _already agreed to go with...!" Kira trailed off, going red.

"Wait..." the door opened, and Ari peeked out. "You mean Trent asked you?" she demanded, and Kira saw her chance. She put all her strength into shoving the door, taking Ari by surprise, and grabbed her. "Hey! You're going to ruin your dress!" Ari cried out in horror.

"Come on," Kira grabbed her, and yanked her along. A few terrified cries and loud threats later that Kira's parents decided not to investigate, Ari stood glaring at Kira. "Knock it off, you look so cute!" Kira was grinning by this point as she looked at the dress she had managed to put on Ari.

"We might have beaten Mesogog, but I might become evil for this Kira," Ari warned her, tugging at the gold and black dress that Kira's mother had gotten for the girl when Kira had mentioned that prom was coming up. Her dress reached the floor, and the gold and black skirt was covered with a thin black mesh material that had gold leaves over it.

"I'd like to see that," Kira challenged. "And besides, at least with your dress you can cheat," she pointed out.

"You mean...I can keep these on?" Ari's scowl disappeared and she lifted the skirt a little to reveal her favourite knee-length jeans and her blue converse.

"Yes, but there's one more condition," Kira smirked, and Ari took a step back, letting the skirt fall again.

1-2-3-4-5

Half an hour later, Ari glared at her reflection in the mirror. Having been threatened several times, Ari had been forced to sit through Kira putting eye-liner on her, as well as allowing her to curl her naturally messy hair.

"I still hate you, you know," Ari told her.

"And I'm still mad at you for nearly getting yourself killed when the Zords exploded," Kira told her flatly. Ari felt it strange that they stood in Kira's room, just about ready for prom, and they were discussing what almost felt like a dream. They were no longer Power Rangers, and this time, it actually felt over for Ari.

"Other than this, I'm gonna miss it here," Kira looked around at the ex-Gold Ranger as she smiled sadly.

"You say that like you're not going to visit," Kira frowned at her, and Ari looked around quickly.

"Of course I'll visit!" Ari looked horrified at the thought. "But it won't be the same. Especially with you guys going to college and everything," Ari had decided not to go to college, at least not until she would be the same age as those going.

"Well then you'll just have to come visit me," Kira told her firmly, and Ari laughed.

"Of course," she agreed, and hugged the shorter girl as she felt reluctant to be leaving in a week.

1-2-3-4-5

Scanning the crowd for any sign of his friends, Ethan broke into a wide smile as he spotted Ari, who was standing on her own, looking uncomfortable.

"Ari!" he called over and the black haired girl looked up quickly. "Wow, you look...amazing...I can't believe Kira got you in a dress! And make-up!" Ethan exclaimed, and Ari went red, slapping his arm.

"I thought you weren't coming tonight," she frowned at the ex-Blue Ranger, before noticing a pretty blonde girl beside him. "Oh...hi," she greeted awkwardly.

"Ari, this is Angela, my date," Ethan introduced her proudly. "We met in line for the movies," he told Ari, who covered her grin with her hand. "Angela, this is Ari, one of my friends I told you about," the geek told her with a grin.

"You're the skateboarder, right?" Angela asked as she smiled at Ari, who nodded. "That's cool, I always thought skateboarding looked fun, but way too painful for me," she admitted, and the Ninja laughed.

"Have you seen the others yet Ari? And better yet, who's your date, or did you and Kira come together in one of those packs that girls do when they don't have dates," Ethan grinned.

"My 'date' as you liked to call it, is getting punch. There he is," Ari grinned, and Ethan's eyes widened as Connor walked over and handed over a cup to the 16 year old.

"Connor? What happened to your list?" Ethan frowned at him.

"List?" Angela raised an eyebrow, and Ethan paused as Connor frowned at him and Ari giggled.

"I decided that the list was stupid, and I wanted to have fun. So who better than our little Ari," Connor grinned. "Besides, it was one of the only ways to get her here, I don't get why she doesn't wear dresses more often," he looked to Ari, who went red and slapped his arm.

"I will break your legs if you don't stop," she warned him, and he laughed, putting an arm around her. Ari rolled her eyes.

"So, you're Connor then, Ethan's told me all about you," Angela smiled at him, and Connor grinned back.

"I'm sure he has," Ethan grinned back.

"So where are your friends Kira and Trent? I want to meet them too," Angela told the boy, who looked at Ari. The girl smirked, and glanced to Connor, who was smirking too.

"No way...Trent asked her to be his date?" Ethan realised, and the two nodded.

"That's not all," Ari was laughing at this point. "We're pretty sure he was asking her out for real when we got here, they told us to go on ahead," she told Ethan, who laughed as well.

"Hey Ari, if you don't stop gossiping, I will come down there and shut you up myself!" they heard a call, and looked up to see Trent scowling down at Ari.

"I'd love to see you try Trent!" Ari called back with a smirk. "Let's see who would win in a fight, a skater or an artist!" she taunted, and he rolled his eyes.

"You're not worth the effort," he told her. They waved up at Doctor Oliver as he stood beside the ex-White Ranger.

"So where's Kira?" Ethan asked, smirking up at the boy. Trent blushed, but just grinned, looking to Ari.

"She'll show, eventually," he told them, and turned to talk to their teacher.

"Ok...do you know?" Connor looked at Ari with a raised eyebrow. Instead of answering him, however, Ari just smiled innocently and raised her drink to her lips.

"That's Ari for yes," Ethan translated for Angela, who laughed. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to go dance," he told his ex-team-mates, and Angela hooked her arm around his with a smile, happily being led away.

"Looks like our little Ethan is all grown up," Connor wiped a mock tear away from his eye.

"They grow up so fast," Ari sniffed, but grinned as Connor pulled her along for a dance as well, making her laugh.

"Hey guys!" before long, the music faded and Doctor Oliver's voice rang through the hall. "I just wanted to say, we've had an interesting year. We've been through a lot," he commented.

"Understatement of the century," Ari giggled, and Connor smirked. Doctor Oliver's words were definitely aimed at the Rangers.

"More than any school should have to go through," the legend continued. "but we made it and we're ok. That's what's important! So, let's have fun tonight, and to help us do that, here she is...Kira Ford!" Doctor Oliver announced, and everyone cheered and clapped loudly as the curtains opened to reveal Kira and the band she was performing with.

_You,  
Gave me something more than,  
I've ever felt before.  
We could be,  
Falling in love,  
Oh baby._

_I can picture you and me,  
More than coming closer._

_Just a little more time and,  
Just a little less thinking,  
Just a little more time is all that I need._

_Just a little believing,  
Just a little more breathing._

_Let's give it time..._

Kira smiled at her friends as they cheered her on loudly, having been dancing to her song. The prom was in full swing, and after a few more songs, Kira joined her friends and they all danced, and laughed, switching partners so they all danced with each other, enjoying themselves to the fullest as Ari wondered just how different her life would have been, had she not been sent to Reefside. And now, even in a dress and in make-up, she was very happy Sensei Sugiura had done so, even if she wondered just what life had in store for her next.

* * *

**So that's it! Dino Thunder is over, and it's on to Mystic Force: The Sun's Destiny next! Thanks to all who read/reviewed/followed/favourited, you guys have kept me motivated to keep going! The review count has already broken the record of most reviews I've received for a story, so thank you all!**

**The Sun's Destiny will be posted either tomorrow night or Monday, depending on where I am and what I'm doing – which is the main reason this wasn't up last night, I'm at a friend's house and we were playing Young Justice: Legacy (and the Power Rangers 'Action' card game) all night.**

**Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed The Jurassic Sun, and that you all continue to read on with this series!**

**Please review!**


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